


Path of Light

by yukiscorpio



Category: Kakumeiki Valvrave | Valvrave the Liberator
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-29
Updated: 2017-01-09
Packaged: 2018-09-13 06:39:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 33,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9111004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yukiscorpio/pseuds/yukiscorpio
Summary: The three times L-elf nearly fell in love, and the one time he actually did.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is set roughly a year after the main anime canon. It helps if you know the plot of the A-drei centric manga "Uragiri no Rakuin" and the CD drama "Choudo Ii Aji", but it's not essential.

"And how is the progress?"

"Things are as complicated as they can possibly be, but signing the agreement has put us in a better position for negotiations. We are moving forward, however slowly..."

Idle chatter. It wasn't as if L-elf didn't already know exactly what was happening with Dorssia's transformation, or that A-drei wanted to discuss politics right now, but they were in public and there was a limit to exactly what they could talk about.

Besides, even if they could talk freely, A-drei would not know where, or how, to begin.

Although it seemed to make sense that A-drei finally took the time to go to Module 77 again now that they were on the cusp of victory, the visit was of a personal nature, the information of his arrival kept on a need-to-know basis. As a result, the hangar was staffed by a skeletal security crew and only L-elf was here to greet this old comrade.

"Haha..."

L-elf gave A-drei a curious look. A-drei shook his head, amused.

"I was just thinking that after all the time I'd spent chasing after you, this time you stood there and waited for me to arrive."

L-elf let out a soft snort. "And you came in through the front door."

A-drei laughed again. It was true, it had taken half a year after Cain was slain for Module 77 and the Liberation to become allies, and he had come here for a formal meeting once at that point. It had been another six months or so since then, and finally the situation on Earth was under control enough that he could visit the module again, not as an unwanted guest or the general of an ally, but simply as a friend.

He let L-elf lead the way. Through a corridor, down a flight of stairs. A hallway. Then an elevator. A-drei gave a wry smile to Kriemhild and the rest of the staff, who had been following a polite distance behind, as he and L-elf went down the elevator first.

"They will be staying at Sakimori Academy's staff accommodation," said L-elf as he sent the information to Kriemhild. "You will stay with me."

A-drei nodded. He wasn't expecting Module 77 to spend much on him, and the Liberation's coffers were by no means full. Soon they would have access to Dorssia Military Pact Federation's resources but until then, if it saved some money, A-drei didn't think his staff would complain. As for A-drei, he came here to visit a friend, so naturally he would stay with said friend. Of course it also helped that he didn't require personal protection like most statesmen did and even if he did need protecting, L-elf would be the best man for the job.

"Where do you live now?"

"Sashinami Shoko arranged permanent housing for me. It is behind the high school." L-elf pocketed his phone.

A-drei wondered if that simply meant his friend was no longer living in temporary accommodation, or that his living on Module 77 was now permanent.

This was not the time to ask.

They stepped out of the building, without having once stopped for immigration officials or the like, into the night. Kriemhild and the other staff showed up moments later, saluted, handed over A-drei's travel bag, then filed into the prepared transport and went on their way.

It was a cool early evening. A gust of wind picked up A-drei's hair, and he brushed it back away from his face as he looked around. The streets were deserted. From what he could see now and the view during landing, the reconstruction and remodelling had barely begun even so long after that world-changing battle. The module was defensible now, at least, and well-supplied. But all the way out here, the fight must be lonely.

L-elf gave him a sidelong glance. "What is it?"

"I know a lot of people have left this module for good, but this gives me context."

"The commercial area gets busy from around dinner time to midnight. The Dorssians stationed here brought the night culture with them. It's become quite popular," said L-elf, gesturing at a car parked nearby, "or so I hear."

"We have a night culture?"

"In the old South Americas. We were young when Red Thursday happened, but your people remember life before the DMPF."

A-drei would be very interested to see that if there was the chance. Abandoned office blocks, public services at a bare minimum, but music was played and food was served. This was like a city out of a dystopian novel.

"Have they caused trouble?"

"I wouldn't say 'trouble'. There was some friction with the people here, but they get along now as far as I have been informed." They got in the car. "Sashinami Shoko would like to meet you now, if that's acceptable?"

Hold on a second. "I'm only here to see you. Private visit."

L-elf actually smirked. "It's not a formal meeting; in her words, she wishes to say hello and give you a 'proper Module 77 style welcome'. But if you would rather not, I'll tell her no."

He must be imagining it, but A-drei thought he heard a hint of fondness in his friend's voice.

Well, it wouldn't hurt to meet the "Prime Minister of Module 77". L-elf rated Sashinami favourably and that was enough reason for A-drei to be curious about this woman. He did have other plans but... never mind. He came here for L-elf, not for himself.

"It's fine, let's go then."

Back in the day, back when they were the Perfect Army, it was always H-neun who did the driving. Not because he was older but simply because he liked doing it. A-drei could recall only a few instances when he was L-elf's passenger, always when they were on their own mission. They were a good pair, the occasional fight aside, just as H-neun and X-eins worked fantastically together. It was something Q-vier envied, A-drei had always known somewhere in the back of his head. If he had worked harder to integrate Q-vier into the squad, perhaps...

"A-drei."

A-drei shifted his gaze from the scenery outside the window to his knees. "Just thinking about Q-vier," he said, then added before his friend could say anything, "I know. I did what I had to." _Kill, don't be killed._ "But I could have done more before it got to that point. Maybe if he really felt that he was one of us, he would have taken the time to listen to what we had to say."

Silence. L-elf said nothing for a few moments, keeping to himself his thoughts and opinions of their former squadmate. Then a soft smile found its way to his lips. "You have had a noble upbringing."

What was that supposed to mean? "Is that a compliment or criticism?"

"The former, Your Royal Highness."

A-drei rolled his eyes briefly. "I'm not even _your_ royal highness."

"I haven't relinquished my Dorssian citizenship yet."

"Does this mean you'll eventually return? When the work is done?"

Another pause. "We'll see when the work is done."

It wasn't that surprising a response. Although L-elf worked with the Dorssia Liberation Front in order to continue to carve his "path of light" in Princess Liselotte's stead, he had long given up on Dorssia itself. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say he had never loved Dorssia or seen it as home. L-elf was not so cruel as to say it out loud now, but the land that A-drei so loved and was working so hard to liberate meant nothing to this friend at all.

It wasn't anything personal, A-drei told himself. L-elf wanted something else, something better than Dorssia, and they would create that together.

L-elf didn't say where they were going to meet Sashinami Shoko, so when they pulled up outside a common-looking house, A-drei frowned a little and assumed it was a random location chosen to hide the fact that the general of Dorssia's liberation forces was meeting the prime minister of Module 77. As they got out of the car, his artificial eye picked up a heat signature near the front door, and by reflex he reached for the gun at his hip.

Then he heard L-elf say his name softly, in a way that meant "relax, it's fine."

The person who was waiting pushed themselves off the wall they had been leaning against, triggering the motion sensor, and a light above the door came on. It was Sashinami, carrying what looked suspiciously like a picnic basket and smiling at the arrivals. Something about all of this felt suspicious, until L-elf got out some keys and they all got inside, then A-drei realised: this was L-elf's house.

They stopped in the hallway, and after busying with their shoes, L-elf made introductions, although they had already talked before.

A-drei nodded in greeting. "Sashinami."

The woman nodded back and did not offer a handshake, although A-drei wasn't expecting her to, not after the deaths of so many of her friends that he was responsible for.

"Your Royal Highness," she said a little stiffly.

"Just call me A-drei if you like."

"But..."

"I have said before: a prince without a country is merely laughing stock. I'm just heir apparent anyway, things can change."

"The old man would be lucky to produce another child at this stage," said L-elf.

A-drei glared at him. "Have some respect for the Emperor!"

"Pointing out a fact is hardly disrespectful."

Reminding himself that he didn't come all the way to Module 77 to fight, A-drei ignored the comment and turned back to Sashinami, extending his hand. She smiled and shook it.

The atmosphere warmed up slightly as the night went on. To A-drei's surprise, Sashinami had cooked for them, and she went about setting up dinner as if she was quite familiar with L-elf's house.

"I hope you're hungry, I don't normally cook for three so I guess-timated the quantities and ended up with a lot! And this person," she pointed at L-elf, "never seems to eat much. Always talking about nutrients and things like that."

L-elf didn't respond and just helped with laying things out. A-drei decided to explain. "We grew up... _encouraged_ to eat only exactly what we needed, and not to see it as a pleasurable activity. Speed and agility are of the essence. Too much fat or even muscles slows you down." he told Sashinami, who froze as she stared at him. "It'll take time to change. I ate something deep fried a couple of months ago and my system was unhappy for days."

There was a hint of pity in Sashinami's eyes, but she managed not to let it taint her voice too much. "Haha, to think that we used to have eating competitions in school."

For a split second, A-drei could have sworn L-elf had an odd reaction to what Sashinami just said. Completely undetectable to anyone else, possibly, but they had grown up together and been through life and death together.

He would look into that later, not when Sashinami was here. "Just so you know: it is not typical of Dorssia. I think normal schools in my country should be similar to yours." Up to a point, anyway.

She quickly smiled at A-drei. "I wasn't thinking that way. But you," she turned to L-elf, "never said anything! I hope I've never made you ill with my food?"

"You haven't. And I did talk to you about nutrients," said L-elf simply.

"Is that supposed to be funny?"

L-elf didn't reply. The corners of A-drei's mouth twitched as he tried not to laugh — it was like watching a couple play-fighting.

That was that, then. But at least L-elf seemed happy.

Dinner was pleasant; Sashinami was a surprisingly great cook. She didn't stay long afterwards. After putting the leftovers and more of the jelly-like dessert inside the fridge, she said goodnight and left the men to themselves.

Well. "That was strange."

"Was it?"

"She isn't too different from me, in a sense, trying to be a leader from a dubious position, fumbling along."

"You don't fumble, A-drei. You are a leader."

It was reassuring to hear L-elf, who never paid lip service, say that.

"History will be the judge of that." A-drei sat down on the sofa. He could hear the beeping of buttons, and then a quiet rumbling as the dishwasher began to work.

So domestic. Not that A-drei had been inside many people's homes to judge or compare, but this seemed like a nice house. Sparsely-decorated, but comfortable. He wondered if L-elf picked the cushions himself. Probably not.

"Never thought you would be the first of us to have your own home," he said when L-elf came out of the kitchen. "If H-neun saw this he would have a fit."

L-elf put down two cups of black tea on a strange piece of furniture that looked like a coffee table with blankets, then sat down. "This house would be too plain for him."

"Haha, I suppose you're right." A-drei took the tea and blew on it gently. "But I see why you might not want to come back now. You have a home here, and a nice girl as well."

So comfortably ordinary. A-drei could not stop himself from being envious even if he tried.

"Sashinami Shoko?" L-elf arched his brows.

"You two are going out, right?"

"No."

Oh.

"But she comes here and cooks for you."

"She mothers me. She does the same for a lot of people."

"And you tolerate that? Why?"

There was no immediate answer. This was not something A-drei saw a lot from his friend: not refusal but hesitation.

"L-elf?"

Still nothing. Something was wrong. That was why A-drei visited; he noticed it in their communications and could not put a finger on what it was. It was as if L-elf was struggling, except he wasn't at all. Over video link A-drei had enquired, concerned that the Princess's death had taken its toll on his friend, L-elf denied it but did not refuse when A-drei said that they should meet.

Wordlessly L-elf removed the grey uniform jacket he had not taken off earlier, and the cravat as well.

A-drei put his tea down.

The scars on his neck. The bite marks.

L-elf still had not got them removed?

"I remember," L-elf began, his voice quiet, his fingertips lightly brushing across the scars on his skin, "the eating competition."

A-drei wasn't sure if he heard that right.

"I remember her tears when she found out her father had been captured. I remember her accusations, that she should have been told about the truth behind the Valvraves."

Wait. This was—

"Tokushima Haruto used my body during the final battle with Cain. His consciousness was inside me when he ran out of runes."

A-drei scooted closer to his friend. "You have Tokushima's memories?"

L-elf nodded. "He died remembering nothing, but for some reason, some of his memories imprinted onto me." He touched his neck again. "The only things that are left of him."

It was A-drei's turn to fall silent. What could he even say?

"But I know where he ends and where I begin." L-elf stood, and abruptly changed topic. "Do you want to use the sofa or my bed?"

He made a start, but wasn't ready to talk about the rest. That was okay, A-drei was staying for a few days, they had time.

"I'll take the sofa," A-drei said.

"We will talk again later."

"We will."

A-drei got ready to sleep. Growing up, he and L-elf had shared beds plenty of times; Carlstein Facility and the various locations they had stationed in back when they were just low-paid soldiers did not always have enough bed space. Bunk beds that were designed to sleep two could have up to six people in them and on the northern battlefields, well, you slept in whatever way that kept you warm. Since A-drei tended to naturally be a little warmer than everyone else, people used to fight over each other to sleep beside him during those days.

The long gone days, A-drei thought to himself with a smile. He used to be so popular for such a strange reason. But there was no need for that now. This was a warm house and a sofa was available, even if the sofa was a bit too short for A-drei to fit on.

A few hours later, too alert from reading status reports and plagued by too many thoughts to even entertain sleep, he got changed to go out, looking up when he heard footsteps. A light came on at the stairs.

"It's too far to walk; I'll drive you." L-elf came down, also dressed.

Of course the man could predict this was going to happen. "I thought—"

A-drei didn't finish the sentence.

"You thought?"

 _I thought you looked down on sentimentality._ But of course that was wrong. L-elf had first devoted himself to rescuing Princess Liselotte, and now to carry out her will. He had not had the scars Tokushima gave him removed. All these years, and L-elf did not allow himself to be understood until now. Or was it just A-drei not being able to see with his own eyes?

"Nothing. Let's go."

Fifteen minutes on the empty roads later, L-elf parked near a suspension bridge. The destination was easy to spot; reconstruction work had not yet been completed at this part of the module.

"Give me five minutes," said A-drei, getting out of the car.

He walked to the edge of the bank, then slid down a slope, finally using the rungs built into the side of the artificial sea bed to go down. The water had been drained, revealing the exact location where X-eins's Kirschbaum crashed.

Someone was here recently, and left flowers. Kriemhild, without a doubt. A-drei put down his own gift, X-eins's favourite books — if he loved a book enough he always bought it in the printed edition — which A-drei had found amongst his friend's belongings. And then he sat down. And cried.

A while later, he saw the approaching shadow of L-elf, stretched long by the street lamps. Hastily he wiped his face with his sleeve. "I said five minute!"

"It's been fifteen minutes." L-elf sat down beside him.

Damn it. "Don't look at me."

"Fine."

A-drei dried his face again. Curse that X-eins, he had to get himself killed and now A-drei had to struggle to stop himself bawling.

"If X-eins didn't push his Kirschbaum beyond its limits and damaged Cain's Valvrave, by my calculation Tokushima Haruto could not have won."

"I know. Shut up."

A-drei heard a rustling, and glanced to the side to see his friend unzipping his jacket and then tugging at the collar, pulling out something. He stared at the cravat that was offered to him, and sneered.

"I don't need it."

"It's cotton. It'll work better than your sleeves."

He and his damn logic. A-drei snatched the fabric. "This better not stink." He gave it a sniff: it smelled of mint shampoo. Or maybe it was shower gel.

"It's clean enough, Your Royal Highness."

Dipping his head so that his hair better covered his face, A-drei wiped his right eye, acutely aware that L-elf was looking despite agreeing that he would not. He wasn't watching A-drei cry, but where he wasn't crying from.

"They took out the gland on my left to fit the microelectronics."

L-elf hmm-ed under his breath. "What can it do?"

"Less than you might think. Some degree of low light vision, like a cat I guess. When it's too dark it switches to heat."

"Like night vision camera?"

"Same principle. But it's not very useful with just one eye; it's difficult to judge distance." It took a long time to master and it still gave A-drei headaches sometimes, but those were unnecessary details. "And it helps me see in daylight too, in case you haven't picked up on that one."

L-elf smiled a little. "Does it see through clothes?"

Wow, look at this. L-elf was making an effort to help A-drei take his mind off the depressing things. Was it because he had spent so much time with civilians, or was it Tokushima Haruto's influence?

"Of course. Everyone is naked if I want them to be." A-drei took a deep breath, decided he had managed to properly stop crying now, and put the cravat in his pocket. "So, what are you going to do? Wear something around your neck for the rest of your life? Or just let people think you're kinky?"

L-elf gave the question a thought, but said nothing. He hadn't decided yet, then.

"Couldn't you have offered him your arm instead?"

"The carotid artery is efficient when you're after runes, so I've been told. My neck was where he naturally went for; it was better to keep it all in one place."

"I'm surprised you never bled to death."

"I bruised from the internal bleeding, but the wounds always healed immediately."

But they left scars. "Giving him your neck was practical back then, but not so practical now."

"You don't need to worry about it for me." L-elf zipped his jacket and popped up the collar.

"I can still see it with my amazing x-ray eye," said A-drei with a smirk and a wink, which he was sure made him look stupid, but it didn't matter since it made his friend chuckle.

Then, L-elf frowned and sat up better. "I remember shooting you."

At this angle, A-drei couldn't help but stare at the way his friend was being lit by the street lamps. Maybe it was because of the fair hair and skin, he had always thought L-elf's face looked... translucent, sometimes.

"Tokushima's memories?"

L-elf nodded.

A-drei wondered. There were so many things he wanted to know, but should he ask? Could he ask?

Well, L-elf brought it up first.

"What was your relationship with him?"

"He was a friend. A good friend."

"Ah." A-drei didn't know what kind of an answer he was expecting really. "If I didn't know that you were in love with my cousin, I would have thought you and Tokushima were involved in a relationship," he said with a laugh that was more clipped than he would like.

"You and Liselotte were cousins?"

L-elf didn't deny it? Or he didn't think it was even worth a denial?

"Third cousins, once removed."

"I don't even know what that means."

"She was my father's father's mother's father's brother's son's daughter's daughter," A-drei counted, grinning as L-elf ever so subtly winced.

"I regret my question."

"It's like this: we had the same great-great-great-grandparent, and our great-great-grandparents were brothers, but she was one generation older than me. Hence the 'once removed'."

"That clears it all up."

"As if you haven't already drawn a chart in your head." A-drei said knowingly. "Basically I was unimportant enough to slip through the net; the Magiuses weren't interested and Carlstein thought it was okay to have me."

"I see."

They fell silent, their eyes fixed on the items laid out for X-eins. What kind of flowers were those? A-drei didn't know much about flowers but he didn't think he had ever seen them in Dorssia before. Kriemhild must have chosen something local.

"L-elf, did you know that X had a big crush on Kriemhild?"

"He did?" L-elf's eyebrows shot up.

"Yes. But he kept it very quiet because H-neun was all over her as well."

"I thought H-neun was just acting and wasn't serious."

"Oh, he was serious. He made it look like he was just being funny because he didn't think he had a chance. She did say repeatedly that she didn't like younger men."

"You know that because?"

"H-neun told me himself."

"And you know about X-eins because he told you too?"

"I can't help it if people want to tell me things." A-drei shrugged. "He also said that if I told anyone he would cut me down, so pretend you haven't heard anything." Not that X-eins was around to care anymore, of course.

"I never realised they revealed so much to you."

"Only once in a while. Q-vier was more excessive."

"Wasn't he always?"

"True. Apparently I was team dad. That time when I was in kept sickbay after they replaced the glass eye with this implant, he came running in one morning telling me his balls had dropped," said A-drei, and L-elf made a choking noise. "A few months after that, he told me he slept with a girl."

L-elf shook his head, astonished.

"I think that girl was 14."

"Gosh. What did you say?"

"I didn't know what to say! I signed up to Carlstein, I signed up to the Liberation, but I didn't sign up to deal with underaged sex! I just asked him if the girl consented and if he used protection."

"That was good of you. I would have just turned around and walked away."

"And that would be why people didn't tell you things."

"These are things I don't mind not knowing."

"Too late."

"I have realised," L-elf smiled wryly, glancing at A-drei before looking back at the crater in front of them again. "Although, do you mind if I told you some things as well, team dad?"

This was new. "As long as they don't involve genitals."

"Haha... I..." uncharacteristically, L-elf paused and drew a deep breath, "I don't know if I loved Liselotte or not. No, what I should say is I don't know if the Liselotte I was in love with ever existed."

This was very, very new. "Because she was a Magius?"

"She was another life form, and much older than I was. Everything I thought I knew about her... perhaps I made it all up in my head," L-elf continued, his voice oddly flat. "I knew that she was kind. But I don't even know if Magiuses are capable of love or even understanding the concept. I don't think they do; if they could love, they would not have toyed with our world the way they did."

"But you were in love, without a doubt. Even if," A-drei lifted his hand, but decided against a friendly pat on the shoulder and lowered it again, "even if she wasn't who you thought she was. Even if you'd only ever met her three times."

"Maybe I was a fool. I'd felt that way since the first time we met."

"You, my friend, are a true warrior of love," said A-drei, "and I say that as a compliment."

"And yet I don't know if I should thank you or not," L-elf replied, leaning a little closer. "Also."

"Yes?"

"About Tokushima Haruto, you were not entirely wrong. I do feel something for him, but I don't know what it is."

A-drei felt something twist in his chest. "Because you inherited his memories?"

L-elf shook his head. "Although that presents another complication. But these... feelings, they shouldn't matter, since he is dead."

"Except you are literally keeping his memories alive."

"They serve no purpose, but it wouldn't be right for me to discard them even if I could."

"And you're letting those scars stay on you too." A-drei pressed his voice down into a whisper. "Did you love him?"

"I don't know, A-drei."

"If you were sitting here alone with him instead of with me, what would you have said to him?"

"Nothing. What I feel doesn't matter; he was in love with Sashinami Shoko."

Dear god.

It was all starting to make sense. This would be the complication L-elf meant. This was why he let Sashinami in his house. He said he knew where Tokushima ended and where he began, but maybe the distinction was not clean-cut.

Liselotte. Tokushima. Sashinami. All of them unreal, unreachable.

And there was, presumably, no more room left in L-elf's heart.

 _You need to leave this place,_ A-drei nearly blurted out, but L-elf must already know that. Was he asking for help? L-elf? He was hoping for confirmation that he could leave Module 77?

But L-elf was an ally, not part of the Liberation. A-drei wasn't his general, he could not tell him where to go.

Though, maybe that wasn't what L-elf was after anyway. Maybe he really just wanted to talk.

"So, you might have liked a boy, hmm."

"Is it a surprise?"

"A little, since you liked Liselotte."

"And yet you asked me if I loved him?"

"All right. Shocked but not surprised, then." A-drei corrected himself. "Don't worry, I won't tell the others."

"I think X-eins might have heard already." L-elf pointed at the crater before them.

"It's fine. He knows if he talked then you'd tell people about the Kriemhild thing."

"Talking about blackmailing already. You are prepared for a life in politics, A-drei."

"Hell no. May His Excellency live a long, healthy life!"

That made L-elf laugh. "When will you change your name back?"

"Not for a long time; the Liberation benefits far more from having the reputation of 'A-drei' than a minor royalty nobody cares about." Half-sighing, A-drei lay down on the ground. "You don't even know what my old name is, do you."

"No. But I'm sure I can look it up."

But he hadn't bothered. Was that a good or bad thing? "How about you, do you prefer being called L-elf or Michael?"

L-elf froze.

A-drei swore in his head. "Sorry."

"It's fine, it's not a secret." L-elf too, lay down, copying his friend's body language. "Like you, I'll be L-elf until that name is no longer useful."

"That's not really what I asked."

"Oh." There was a pause as L-elf reviewed the original question. "I dislike the connotation of 'L-elf' because it's a code allocated to me by the enemy. However over the years it has somewhat become a name, and a very useful one at that. I'm used to using it and responding to it."

"No one calls you by the other name."

"No."

"Do you mind if I do? In private?"

"Why?"

Because it would be something that was for A-drei only, at least for a while. "Our forces are allies, but I'm also your friend. It would make it easier to distinguish between work and personal matters."

"I don't mind, but I don't know your real name."

"That's your problem, Michael, not mine."

L-elf narrowed his eyes comically, but didn't protest when A-drei reached over and took his phone from his pocket, putting it just a bit out of reach, in case L-elf tried to look things up right away. Because A-drei might not be a prophet like his friend but he could still predict what was coming.

"Is there nothing you want to share with X-eins and me, then?"

Thought so. "I don't need to tell you anything."

L-elf actually turned onto his side so that he could stare at A-drei better. "I see. You like Kriemhild as well," he said, smirking.

That would actually be funny. Depressing, but funny as well. "I don't like older women."

Instead of making him give up, the response it seemed to have spurred L-elf on. "I remember when the prince hit puberty."

A-drei felt his face burn up right away. "For god's sake!" He turned away, recalling the morning he realised he couldn't share a bed with L-elf anymore. He was the first one to go through the changes and had been too embarrassed to explain.

"I also remember—"

"I'm still not going to tell you anything!"

"But you would listen to me."

"I listened to _Michael_. But _A-drei_ doesn't talk about this sort of thing."

That actually annoyed L-elf a bit, A-drei could tell just by the tone of his voice. "Give me back my phone."

"No," A-drei said, but thought the better of it. He handed the gadget back, turning to lie on his back again. "Just don't ask me these things all of a sudden, I'm not good at talking about them so I need... time."

L-elf sat up. "Have I upset you?"

A-drei cleared his throat. Had his own voice given something away? "Haha, since when have you ever cared? Anyway, you're the one with the complicated situation."

The phone disappeared back inside the jacket pocket, a gesture to say that L-elf understood his friend needed some time. He drew his knees up a little. "I shouldn't have pushed. Sorry."

This was so weird. "You've spent too much time with civilians."

"You've just not spent enough time with Michael."

A-drei pushed himself up on his elbows, his breath catching as he looked up at his friend again. Something about the lighting. It must be.

"Michael? I've heard about him. He was in love with a girl who didn't exist, likes a boy who's dead, and has that boy's memories of loving another girl." A-drei sat up too. The surrounding might look natural but the actual "sea bed" was a hard composite and not too comfortable to lie on. "I don't know how he copes."

"By telling his friend who doesn't laugh at or judge him for it."

"I'm too good at being team dad."

"I'll send you a card on Father's Day."

A-drei chuckled, finally reaching over to clap L-elf on the shoulder. "Seriously though, you have far more guts than I do. Maybe I'll work up the courage to tell you about... things before I go home, but no guarantees." Maybe he would have decided what he wanted to do by then. "Team dad is shy."

They both looked up when the first drops of rain began to fall. A-drei rolled his eyes. Really, there was artificial atmosphere and controlled weather, and it decided to rain on them now?

L-elf stood and held out his hand. A-drei clasped it and let himself be tugged onto his feet.

"You don't need to tell me anything you're not comfortable with me knowing."

"I know."

"Well." L-elf looked toward his car. "Let's go."

Back inside L-elf's ordinary house, while L-elf made himself a drink in the kitchen, A-drei started getting out of his clothes, thinking about what he had learned tonight. He had not imagined that things would turned out this way. How could he? Was L-elf in love? Who was he in love with? He was being suffocated by something that was meant to nourish, and desperate for a listening ear.

Well, at least that wasn't so unique. A-drei had heard quite a bit from other people, and he had been there himself as well. X-eins, the poor bastard, he had spent so much time trying to listen when A-drei was hurting so much he couldn't even make himself talk about it.

He wondered what X-eins would say if he saw him now. Would he still tell him to let go?

"Do you want anything?"

"No thanks."

"Have this anyway." Emerging from the kitchen, L-elf gave his friend a cup of tea. "A-drei. About tonight — thank you."

A-drei snorted. "We've known each other since we were kids. Most of my friends are dead. Who else am I going to help?"

L-elf smiled and headed for the stairs, taking his drink with him.

"L-elf."

"Yes?"

"If you need a change of scenery, most of what you do here can be done via video link from a ship or even from Dorssia; I'm sure there's a way we can dress it to make it look perfectly reasonable."

"Hahaha..."

A-drei lifted his eyebrows. What was so funny?

"I will consider this, Your Royal Underpants."

Oh, right. "It's nothing you haven't seen before," muttered A-drei, although he could still feel his face heating up. "At least it's not Cain in his underwear."

"Not an imagine I'd like to take with me to bed."

"Of course not. You think about Tokushima."

That earned A-drei a half-hearted glare. "I shall tolerate the mockery, but only because it's you," said L-elf. "I'm going to bed."

A-drei sat down on his makeshift bed, and wondered if the pillow would smell of mint shampoo.

"Sleep well, Michael. It's good to see you."

"Likewise."


	2. Chapter 2

It was a scene L-elf had seen once before. The tubes made strange noises, a mix of gurgling and hissing, like the sound of blood rushing past the valves of a heart in biology documentaries. Sometimes there were groans, and that sounded like someone was having their lives leached away, which was exactly what was happening.

This was what Liselotte refused to partake in.

L-elf stood, silent, as A-drei took it all in, and as the scientists worked frantically to power down the system. Chances were slim but if they were quick enough, it might be possible for some of the victims to be saved — the runes that had been drained from them could not be returned, but they might be able to live just as Nobi Marie did, albeit with symptoms similar to amnesia or dementia for the rest of their lives. But all the locations that had the right people to handle Phantoms were already full except for Module 77, and it was a difficult decision to take the captured Phantom here. UN representatives and scientists were due to arrive soon but until then, Prince A-drei of Dorssia would act as an observer, to make sure the scientists and Valvrave pilots on this module did not try any form of sabotage.

"Nobody trusts anyone these days," said A-drei under his breath.

"At least the UN trusts you now," replied L-elf.

"For a given value of 'trust'. I assume between accepting me and losing the victims, they see me as the lesser of the two evils."

L-elf nodded. If they wanted to try to save the people on the Phantom, there was little choice other than have A-drei offer to be a witness. The scale and power of the Liberation Force was such that it was already considered the governing body of Dorssia, just without all the paperwork in place yet. In short, A-drei was already an important figure on the world stage. His presence was the only reason why the UN was willing to dock the Phantom here rather than wait and let the rune victims die.

A-drei actually cared about the victims, L-elf knew for certain, but this offer of a helping hand was also a move that would hasten the process of getting the aforementioned paperwork signed.

"This is the best route to take."

"I know. I trust your decision which is why I'm going with it even though it means this isn't a personal trip anymore."

"It's just for a few hours."

"That's not the point. I had plans for this morning."

"Plans?"

"Don't worry about it," said A-drei with an expression that could be described as cryptic.

A memory suddenly rushed forth, unbidden, and L-elf was not aware that it wasn't his own memory until an odd sensation, no, the memory of an odd sensation took him. The one time Tokushima Haruto was aboard a Phantom ship, he was starving for runes but L-elf had not noticed. Something inside him craved for the runes that were being collected, it was a raw feeling L-elf had never experienced before, and even the mere memory of it was so overpowering that he had to admire Tokushima for his self-restraint. Had it been anyone else, they might have turned to the person next to them and—

"L-elf?" A-drei was frowning. "Is something bothering you?"

"No." L-elf swallowed hard, at the same time bringing his thoughts sharply back to the present. "I am going to check if the visitors are on schedule."

He left the Phantom until the people from the UN arrived and were satisfied with how the ship was being handled. A-drei shook a few hands, kept his words short and delegated everything else to Kriemhild. Good call; A-drei did this for them as a favour so that they wouldn't have to explain how a lack of resources led to unnecessary deaths, but he did not answer to them.

"Give them an inch and they'll take a mile," said A-drei once they were far enough away from the Phantom. "I have no time for fence-sitters; they can talk to me if they decide to offer some formal support or at least let my people take out the pro-DMPF pockets hiding in their territories. For now I prefer them to be just a little bit afraid of what I might do even though I seem friendly."

It wasn't something just anyone could pull off, but this was A-drei, Prince of Dorssia as well as Carlstein graduate and former special agent, and when those titles were stacked together they were formidable as well as incomprehensible.

This was not contrary to any advice L-elf might have given. In fact it was one step further, and L-elf had to admire A-drei's methods. The old Dorssia would have just reached for the quickest solution by force. "It's better to pressure them into cooperating, but if those pockets prove too much trouble I can go in and sort them out for you."

"I know I can always rely on the one man brigade. But you do have your own country to worry about."

_"Be my right hand, L-elf!"_

The first time A-drei said that, they were deep inside enemy territory during their final selection examination to become special agents. He spoke of his loss, and of his desire to reinstate the royal family into power. Back then, L-elf never gave him a proper reply, only hinting that he would aid A-drei in his bid for survival.

The second time A-drei mentioned his revolution, years later, they were sittings on the ruins of battle and A-drei lamented on the state of his homeland, of the military state Dorssia had become. The young prince had grown. It was no longer the royal family that he wished to fight for, but the people of Dorssia. And that was the first time L-elf admitted that he was also fighting for a revolution.

A-drei kept changing, kept growing, but his faith in L-elf had remained steadfast. Even when he was shot in the head, he wanted answers, not revenge. So many times he had had L-elf at gunpoint but never pulled the trigger. He had risked everything the moment he first uttered those traitorous words of revolution to this friend and yet when he was betrayed, he would not shoot.

"Where are we going?"

"To the Valvrave hangar. Status reports are not the tech team's forte."

"Should I wait?"

"They know you're here. It won't take long, just come with me."

With the gravity turned low at the hangar, their feet left the ground and they began to float as they neared their destination. Music and voices filtered through, becoming louder when the doors slid open. They followed a walkway around the side, using the handrail to help propel themselves forward.

_"He is my right hand."_

Right. This was where they had that stand-off. L-elf could remember it both from his own as well as Tokushima Haruto's perspectives. It was the moment A-drei was told, in no uncertain terms, that L-elf no longer wanted to be part of his revolution.

He stole a glance at his friend, who was following closely behind him. A-drei had the smallest of frowns between his brows. Struck by the same memory, no doubt.

He heard someone call his name. Rukino Saki, pilot of Valvrave IV, was making her way to him. Then, still drifting, she turned around and shouted back towards the centre of the hangar, as the music that was being played ended and another song began right after, "I said turn that stupid album off! Put on something else!"

"No way! We love it!" one of the student mechanics yelled back. "It's the beeeest!"

She made some non-specific threats towards to mechanic as she floated the rest of the way to L-elf and A-drei, finally hooking a foot on the handrail to help herself stop. "L-elf—"

"Rukino Saki," L-elf cut her short. Noting that she was wearing her gear, she must have just returned from outside. "I have instructed you numerous times to tie your hair back when you pilot the Valvrave."

"And I've told you so many times I don't like tying it up," said Rukino, using her hand to brush down the hair that was flying in low gravity behind her. She turned to A-drei. "Nothing wrong with long hair, right?"

A-drei shook his head. "Actually I always tie mine back when I'm in the cockpit. Hair affects the seal between the helmet and the suit, and that becomes a problem if you end up having to eject. It's the first lesson in piloting."

Rukino crossed her arms in front of her chest and glared. "Fine, fine, I don't even know the basics then!"

"And this is what I have to work with," L-elf could not help but mutter, seeing A-drei's mouth crack into a wide grin. "Divas and amateurs."

"Your sacrifice will not be forgotten, comrade." A-drei patted him on the shoulder.

All right, enough chatter, and they did not come to be glared at. "What do you need, Rukino Saki?"

The woman was about to explain, but A-drei suddenly gasped. L-elf glanced at him. "A-drei?"

"This music, I've been trying to remember where I've heard it before. I think I know what it is!" said A-drei with an unusual excitement. "Rukino Saki, is this your song?"

"You recognise it?" Within the blink of an eye, Rukino's face became completely flushed. "I don't even know how they managed to find the album. It was from when I was twelve... It's so embarrassing."

"I knew it!" A-drei grabbed L-elf by the arm. "L-elf! Room 4402, our first day!"

Room 4402? That was the room they were first given while they waited for their placements as new special agents. The first day they were there...

The chorus of the song came on, and it dawned on L-elf.

For the first time since their training, they got a twin room. A bed each. And there was a radio. It was a huge privilege to be allowed music, and this very song, this very chorus was what was being played on the radio when they turned it on. A-drei had laughed at the silly, chirpy pop music from JIOR they were apparently allowed to listen to, and bopped along to it, miming to lyrics he didn't even know, as if he hadn't just been on a snow-covered battlefield fighting for survival.

How odd that Rukino Saki was the performer. If A-drei hadn't pointed it out L-elf would not have remembered or made the connection.

"It was this song," said L-elf.

This was what A-drei was thinking about when they came in, when L-elf himself was recalling how he had betrayed this friend and broken his heart?

"This was the song." A-drei grinned and hummed along, and L-elf started to do the same but managing to catch himself within a heartbeat. If he embarrassed himself in front of the people here...

"You guys are creeping me out now." Rukino pulled a face.

"What do you want?"

"I heard that the prince is here," she replied, her eyes on A-drei. "What's happened to that child? Give me an update!"

It was just the same as before. Every time Rukino met A-drei, she wanted to know what was going on with the child she had once bodyjacked.

"K-zwölf is rooting out the enemy in a small town called Donnerskirchen."

"He isn't in Vienna anymore?"

"No, a short distance to the southeast. I hear he is doing good work, but I haven't seen him myself."

"I see."

"Satisfied?"

"Not really. He should be going to school," Rukino huffed. "Anyway, are you going to ask me out or not? Or should I do the asking?"

L-elf thought he knew exactly what was going on, but suddenly he didn't anymore. And A-drei's face was turning pink.

"I...erm." A-drei looked about. "Is there a bathroom around here?"

"Back near where we came in," L-elf said, somewhat amused, biting back a smile until A-drei muttered an "excuse me" and floated off.

Poor A-drei. Rukino must be making fun of him. L-elf had heard about her doing this to Tokushima before, although those memories were not so clear.

"Is he embarrassed? How cute."

"I don't know if he is embarrassed, but your behaviour is embarrassing me, Rukino Saki."

It was as if she wasn't listening at all. "He's a good man. He looked after K-zwölf really well that time."

"I can imagine."

"And, well," Rukino looked away, "when I was held captive and the Dorssian scientists were... not being very kind, he stepped in."

"Ah."

"You should have seen his face when I told him it was Haruto who tried to kill him, not you."

That, L-elf could not imagine. If they had had a moment to communicate after the truth about the Magiuses was revealed, perhaps A-drei would have believed him. But until then, there was no way anyone would believe bodyjacking was possible unless they saw it with their own eyes.

L-elf considered thanking Rukino for not killing A-drei when she had the chance as K-zwölf and unwittingly bringing the man over to their side, but decided against it as it would require an explanation he did not wish to make.

"Cute guy, really nice too," Rukino mused. "But he wouldn't ask for my number even though we'd kissed and everything."

What?

A-drei and Rukino Saki did what?

"Haha, look at you." Flexing her foot, Rukino pushed herself off the walkway. "I'm going to change the music. See you around."

Right. Rukino Saki was just being extraneous and trying to get a reaction. Because of L-elf's ability to predict situations, trying to surprise him had become a sort of game to the people here. One day they would get bored and stop, hopefully.

"Tie your hair up."

Not looking back, she waved at L-elf. "Yes sir."

With a sigh, L-elf made his way to the bathroom. All the stalls were empty, A-drei was the only person there, drying his hands. "When you're ready."

The others wouldn't have a problem with A-drei being here, L-elf thought, but it would be against protocol to let the leader of the Dorssian Liberation Force wander around by himself.

A-drei looked up, meeting eyes with L-elf through the mirror, grinning ear to ear. "Can you believe it? To hear that dumb song here of all places! And the singer's a Valvrave pilot!"

A smile tugged at L-elf's lips. "I must admit that was not within my predictions."

"Du-du-du, du-du-dudu-du..."

"Hm-hm-hmmm..." L-elf hummed along, and had to stop himself from laughing too loudly when A-drei started bopping to the tune again, like he did all those years ago.

"Will you, du-du-du, will you take my hand oh... Will you, du-du-du, will you be my valentine..."

"A-drei, she was twelve!"

"Don't ruin it." A-drei wagged his finger. "And I did not write the lyrics."

L-elf heaved a sigh and just let things be. If this was what A-drei chose to focus on instead of the bitter words they had once exchanged in this hangar, then L-elf was grateful. He and A-drei were the only children of their age group to have made it through the trials at Carlstein; had L-elf been alone instead, he didn't know what he would have become. Life in the Dorssian military since the age of seven was tough, to put it lightly, and although with each promotion he earned greater power and freedom, it would have been impossible for L-elf to stay sane all these years had his friends not been there. Had A-drei not been there.

There were many good things worth treasuring. Memories that were theirs alone, emotions that came from L-elf's own heart, for people who were real.

"Will you, du-du-du, will you call me yours... Will you be mine..."

But no, L-elf refused to dance, no matter how hard his friend was coaxing him to.

"When Your Royal Highness is ready, I have work to do."

Work was completed swiftly; all L-elf needed was a report on the test performance of a new modified component on Valvrave IV, his other tasks had already been cleared ahead of A-drei's arrival. He had no real idea what to do, however. "Friends coming to visit" was a normal thing for many people but not for him.

"I have not played host before. Tell me what you want to do," he said loudly enough for A-drei to hear downstairs, having returned home to change out of their uniforms and into civilian clothing upon A-drei's insistence.

"I don't know? What's good to do around here?"

"Are you seriously asking me?" Perhaps he could ask Sashinami Shoko for ideas...

"Haha. Maybe we can do some exploring then, Michael."

L-elf paused. _Michael._ That was right, he was going to look up A-drei's real name. He went to his computer. "You mentioned you had a plan for this morning. What is it?"

"I'll leave it for tomorrow."

"As you wish."

Looking up the royal family's public information was a simple task, although L-elf had to try several people on the family tree before he found the right person.

 _Lukas Henry Andrei Theophilus V. Dorssia_.

The royals did like their multiple names; compared to some, A-drei's name was short. L-elf snorted at the fact that one of the middle names was _Andrei_. Was it a coincidence?

It said here that the _V._ denoted the branch line of the family the person belonged to. A-drei had no siblings, and...

Wait a second.

L-elf checked today's date, then got out his phone to type a message.

_L11: Was it A3's birthday yesterday?_

The reply came fast.

_Kriemhild: Didn't you know? We celebrated on the shuttle. HRH said he'd do something with you separately._

A-drei did say he had plans, but that was this morning, not yesterday.

_L11: He didn't mention._

_Kriemhild: I only know what he told me._

What should he do, L-elf wondered. He might as well just ask. It wasn't as if he was known for his delicate approach to things.

He wrapped a scarf around his neck and headed downstairs.

"Lukas Henry Andrei Theophilus, I just realised it was your birthday yesterday."

A-drei laughed. "Pick one of those," he said, then added hastily, "but not Theophilus."

"Andrei?"

"Heh, I knew you'd choose that."

"Is that all right?"

A smile. "Yes."

"It was your birthday yesterday, Andrei, but you didn't tell me."

A-drei had changed into simple white shirt and blue trousers, and was putting on some brogues. It was as dressed-down as he was likely to get. "I meant to, but Sashinami was here. And after that I didn't find the chance."

Was that why A-drei didn't want L-elf to look up his information last night? L-elf was busy confessing his problems and before that, he let Sashinami Shoko in here and she took over their reunion.

What did people do for birthdays? L-elf couldn't remember what he did when he was young. He couldn't say what Tokushima Haruto did for his, either, not being able to access those memories freely, but L-elf would guess it involved school friends, parties and gifts, options that were not available to them right now.

He should ring Sashinami Shoko, she would have useful advice and she could tell him the places they could visit on this module.

No, it would not be wise to involve her again.

"L— Michael? Stop thinking so hard about it. We never used to mark our birthdays anyway."

"That was then, this is now," said L-elf, enjoying the bemused look he was given. "I can't lose to Kriemhild," he added, and bemusement became amusement.

Sitting on the sofa, A-drei leaned forward, his arms resting on his thighs. "Do you remember half a year ago when you came down to Earth with a Valvrave and proposed an alliance?"

"At the outskirts of Vienna."

"We agreed that Tokushima had changed you."

So that was what A-drei was getting at. "I still cannot say if it's for better or for worse."

"Your sense of humour has definitely improved." A-drei grinned wryly. "I also note that your battle strategies now prioritise minimal loss over efficiency, and you've learned to smile a bit as well, but that's not nearly as remarkable a change as your becoming a funnier man."

"I am so glad," L-elf deadpanned. "Let's go. We'll find something to do."

With much of the module either under reconstruction or just of no particular interest to them, they ended up visiting the small shrine behind Sakimori Academy. It was a long walk uphill from L-elf's house, but once they were there they were rewarded with a clear, panoramic of the module.

"I've seen this place on TV before. That ARUS journalist and his daily news segment," said A-drei. "What was his name, Barnette?"

"Burnett?"

"That's right. You know the higher-ups were desperate when they let you watch ARUS news footage for intelligence." A-drei turned away from the wall of wooden plaques bearing people's wishes, walking to the edge of the steps they came up from, casting his gaze at the scenery before them. "I know this module was built to accommodate military secrets, but it's much the same as any other modules I've been on or seen footage of."

L-elf let go of the plaque on which someone had written "dorssians go home!" and went over to join his friend. A-drei glanced at him, then pointed in front of them.

"Modules are blank canvases, aren't they? They could do whatever they want without the constraint of geography, and the nations that can afford to build dyson spheres can certainly afford to outfit each module to their hearts' desires. Yet on every module, they try to achieve clean air and water, decent housing, food, and so on. That's what people want, whether you're from ARUS, JIOR or Dorssia."

"They also want to feel safe, and have a justice system they can rely on."

"And freedom." A long pause. "So, just assume we are looking at a not-secret-military-base module for a moment — we're looking at human's idea of utopia, at least based on the measureable factors."

"Hmm."

"I... I don't know what I'm getting at; I'm just thinking out loud. We're on the verge of reclaiming Dorssia, but..."

"That's just the first step of the revolution."

"I need to do more. I want to change the world."

"Then you're talking to the right person."

The unexpected response nearly made A-drei choke. He gave L-elf a comically dubious look. "Right person? Right hand?"

"Both. I won't betray you again," said L-elf, meaning every word.

"You weren't wrong to."

"A-drei—"

All of a sudden A-drei looked much more solemn. "I followed Cain's orders, went to Sakimori Academy and tried to arrest you while they released gas to kill unarmed students. We weren't soldiers; we were terrorists. I didn't deserve to be a part of your 'path of light'."

L-elf studied his friend. "And I considered the loss of life a fact of war, not worth trying to work around and certainly not worth lamenting on."

"That was how you were taught to think."

"And you know fully well why you went along with Cain. He was a Magius, also known as a warlock in history."

"He did put his hand on my shoulder when he gave me the instructions, which I thought was very unusual," said A-drei. "It's so easy to blame it on that. But I'll never find out if that really was the reason or just a poor excuse to save my honour."

"The A-drei who last year turned down my initial strategy to eliminate the entire enemy force near Vienna because 'they are also Dorssians, I want to minimise bloodshed and force them to surrender instead'? I know you. Had Cain not controlled you in some way, you would not have done it."

In that sense, A-drei and Tokushima Haruto were very similar. Both idealists, forced to kill so that they would not be killed. But they remained true to themselves as much as they could and when it really mattered, they were ready to offer their lives for their ideals.

Six months ago, on the outskirts of Vienna, Kriemhild said that A-drei was about to take the only Kirschbaum they had and use it to break through the enemy ranks so that the Liberation Force could charge forward rather than suffer a complete collapse. It was a high risk mission that was only prevented because L-elf and a Valvrave arrived just in time.

In contrast, L-elf was a selfish man. He was always ready to sacrifice others, using his "light" as his excuse. And in the end he could not even say if he was in love with Liselotte or if he was in love with the idea of her, clinging onto it as something to live for. When she died, he'd lost the will to live until he decided to continue her legacy.

He used to judge the young teen A-drei for wanting to reinstate the royal family, and secretly praised his growth when that goal changed to liberating the people. But how about L-elf himself? Even as an adult he was selfish, he carried on after Liselotte's death to fulfill _her_ wishes, to make himself feel better, instead of doing so for the people. He never had the right to judge A-drei at all. It was only thanks to Tokushima Haruto's influence, the pieces of himself that he'd left behind, that L-elf truly understood what it meant to love another person and to love one's home.

Now, L-elf was finally able to admit that yes, A-drei was a better man than he was. A-drei was a naive man. A noble man. Those were qualities, not hindrances as L-elf had tried to tell him all these years while secretly envious that his heart could remain so pure.

What was it that Burnett said in his documentary? "Leaders of successful revolutions are all naive." L-elf was thankful that even though he grew and changed over the years, A-drei's principles never changed, not for Carlstein, not for L-elf.

His breath caught as he realised that the man right here beside him was the true "light". Beautiful, incorruptible, pure.

Andrei.

"I hope you're right." A-drei's words prompted L-elf to rein his thoughts in. The man swept his hair back, his fingertip rubbing his eyebrow, feeling for the scar. "Do you remember, Cain's instruction for me was to capture you instead of kill you? He wanted to take you back for court martial."

Not surprising. "To make an example of me."

"Yes. And he told me I was to interrogate you."

"You mentioned it to me."

"Thank you for not getting caught. If I went through with everything he said I think it might have broken me and he wouldn't need to put a spell on me anymore."

"I guess that was what he was aiming for." Then Cain, too, knew how dangerous a man A-drei was to his cause. And he thought L-elf was A-drei's Achilles' heel. "It couldn't have happened anyway; I would have escaped before any interrogation could take place."

A small smile. "You are a slippery eel."

"I prefer 'one man brigade'."

"Is there room for one more? Can we go halfsies?"

Ha. For A-drei to use those words...

"'Two men brigade' is acceptable."

A hand landed on L-elf's shoulder. A-drei's expression was one of relief; the confirmation that there was nothing to forgive was one they both needed.

"The brigade's first order of business: my birthday."

"Would you like to visit a JIORian supermarket?"

"Oh, I think I would!"

A supermarket trip literally was the only thing L-elf could come up with, as he never spared much thought on the parts of the module that were outside the military zone, and at least half of the services were still shut down anyway. But the idea turned out to be a wonderful one, seeing the unadulterated glee with which A-drei picked things off shelves. Years of survival, of fighting, of guilt, and now here they were. It made L-elf want to laugh too, so he was happy to see his friend relax so much.

They returned to L-elf's house in the early evening, laden with spoils of strange snacks and drinks, some of which even L-elf had not tried during his long stay on the module. Having barely eaten all day, they finished the leftovers from the night before, sat down in front of the TV and started on the snacks.

Back in Dorssia, when the days weren't busy, watching TV was something A-drei, H-neun and Q-vier did a lot together, with X-eins and L-elf occasionally joining them. It was state-approved entertainment, and although it wasn't as brain-washing as it sounded and even included some imported programmes from JIOR, not all of them were particularly fond of it. But watching TV was something all five of them could easily do together, and H-neun always insisted that team bonding was essential.

L-elf was going to have to take the place of the other three, now.

"What's that like?"

A-drei gestured for the little box of biscuits L-elf was eating, so he handed it over. They were chicken-flavoured biscuits in the shapes of various animals. On each biscuit there was printing of the name of that animal in various JIOR home languages.

"I don't think I'd learn a single word from these, but they can definitely make me fat."

"Don't eat too much and make yourself ill."

"I know about that better than you do," A-drei replied, extracting another biscuit from the box, scrutinising its shape and then showing it to L-elf. "I can't even tell what this is supposed to be. Some kind of canine?"

"It is clearly a _liègǒu_ ," L-elf read straight off the biscuit.

"Which is?"

"Also known as a _dubuk_ or a _waraabe_."

A-drei threw the biscuit at L-elf's face, narrowly missing his eye.

"Oi."

"Revenge!" A-drei said, flipping the hair away from his face to emphasis his point, "which doesn't taste sweet, more like chicken."

A-drei had a very beautiful, expressive face.

How weird to only notice this now.

L-elf pulled the biscuit out of his hair. "Speaking of which, is the scar across your eye staying?"

"Hmm?" A-drei put down the snack, wiped his hands and then swept his hair back properly. "You know they wouldn't do something as cosmetic as scar removal. Anyway, I don't mind it; I literally dodged a bullet from the infamous L-elf."

"If you'd dodged it then you wouldn't even have a scar."

"If I hadn't dodged it then my brains would have ended up all over X-eins's face." Rummaging through their shopping, A-drei pulled out a packet of dried smoked meat, something that looked like cheese sticks, chocolate-covered fruit gummies and a bottle of rice wine. L-elf eyed the last item with suspicion; he did see his friend put it in the shopping trolley earlier and didn't stop him.

A-drei also stared at the bottle. "I've heard a lot about this stuff. But is it a bad idea?"

It did seem like a bad idea. "Well, it's your birthday."

"But this is your house. I can take it back with me instead."

L-elf got up from the sofa. "I'll get some glasses."

Unlike the vodka which Dorssia was famous for, the rice wine had a delicate fragrance, with a mild taste that belied its alcohol content. After a few sips, A-drei got his phone out and called several people to check if there was anything he needed to know because he was likely not going to be very useful for the rest of the night. L-elf did the same. They might not be actively fighting or drawing out plans or making inspection trips but it didn't mean there were not constant streams of communications. But the revolution should be able to go on without them for half a day.

"Is this your first day off in a long time?"

"A bit under two years. After that time I didn't manage to catch you and Cain took Valvrave II, I was on level two standby until you tried to come down to Earth and landed near Carlstein Village."

"You're saying that I ruined your holiday."

"I am saying that you ruined my holiday. I managed to go riding for once, and you," A-drei lifted a finger off his tumbler and pointed at L-elf accusingly, "couldn't even do a landing properly and made me go back to work."

L-elf could not even be bothered to look sarcastically apologetic.

They talked about inconsequential things as they tried out more of the snacks. The cheese sticks turned out to be rice sticks, and were the best things to go with the wine. When A-drei managed to talk him into trying to pick up chocolate fruit gummies using the rice sticks as chopsticks, L-elf knew he had had too much to drink but it was getting hard to stop. There wasn't much left in the bottle anyway, he should be fine.

A-drei seemed to have better willpower and had set his drink down, making a comment about how tipsy was fun but being too drunk was disgraceful.

"What a prince."

"It's got nothing to do with that. I just don't like drunk people."

"You are good at your social graces though. You have..." L-elf drawled, trying to come up with the words, "refinement and... sophistication."

A-drei finished the last rice stick. "That _is_ to do with upbringing. Thank you, I suppose. Do I remind you of Princess Liselotte?"

"No."

"Oh thank god. That would have been weird."

"There were rumours from the start that you were a prince because of your manners. You must have known it got people's backs up."

"I couldn't let them take everything. I wore their uniform and sang their songs but they couldn't take this." A-drei pointed at his chest, index finger resting over his heart. "By which I don't mean my status, but the things my family had taught me."

L-elf appreciated the sentiment, but he couldn't help himself. "Excuse my manners Your Royal Highness, but to use a colloquial term, I call bullshit," he said, smirking when A-drei frowned at him. "You never sang the anthem."

A-drei burst out laughing. "I did!"

"Only when someone came close. Your volume went like this:" L-elf drew a bell curve in the air. "Far away — pure miming. Getting close — some volume. Right next to you — top of your lungs. Gone — back to miming. You never sang the whole anthem all these years."

Apparently this was very funny, because A-drei was reduced to giggling. L-elf tapped on his shoulder.

"Stand up."

"What?" A-drei asked, still giggling, but he stood.

L-elf backed away with a few huge steps. "For our land, fertile from our comrades' blood..."

Catching on, A-drei began to mime the lyrics, picking up volume as L-elf approached. "...rch with our banners... victoRY FOR DORSSIA! FOR DORSsia... we shall never... will you, du-du-du, will you be my valentine..." his voice lowered and he even changed songs after L-elf had walked past, but the full chest voice returned as soon as L-elf took a step backwards. "BLITZENDEGEN! WITH LIGHTNING IN OUR HANDS WE SHALL STRIKE! BLITZENDEGEN! SLICE YOUR BITS OFF SO YOU CAN'T BREED!"

L-elf could not believe his ears. Even he had to giggle. "Lieutenant A-drei!"

"I caught H-neun singing that to himself once..." A-drei still hadn't stopped laughing. "In the laundry room..."

"Such words from the mouth of the prince! I'm appalled! Not refined or sophisticated at all!"

"I'm so sorry to disappoint you." A-drei all but fell back into the sofa, turning around so that he could press his face into the back cushion. "Haha... oh god... you should've seen H-neun's face..."

L-elf sat down as well. He couldn't tell if it was the alcohol or the endorphins from laughing getting to him, but he felt lightheaded and gleeful. "We'll need a new national anthem eventually."

That brought a fresh round of guffaws. "We'll incorporate that line..."

L-elf leaned close so that he could cup his hands around A-drei's ear and whisper. "Blitzendegen."

"Stop it... I can't breathe..."

L-elf pulled away just in time, his friend lifting his face from the cushion like a man emerging from water, gasping for air, laughing and coughing at the same time, his face bright red and his one natural eye moist with tears. He rubbed it, and his ear too, as if L-elf's breath could have done something to it, then sorted out his hair.

"You still look very princely," L-elf commented, calming down somewhat.

"Wow, I had no idea... that your charm and wit levels skyrocket after drinking..."

"I have always been witty. It's only the charm that needed work."

A-drei snorted. "You're also very cute when you're like this." He seemed to have finally caught his breath. With some difficulty, he sat up so that he could refill both their tumblers with what was left of the bottle.

What was that about? "I don't know what you mean," L-elf said, and suddenly recalled something. "Rukino Saki called you cute today."

Being commented upon favourably by a Valvrave pilot and popular idol apparently was not something A-drei took delight in, if that resigned expression was anything to go by.

"She also said you'd kissed her but don't want her number."

A-drei rubbed his forehead with the heel of his palm, then reached for his rice wine. "For the last time: I did not kiss Rukino. I have never kissed Rukino."

"That's a bigger reaction than I'd expected..."

"She made jokes about it before. I performed emergency resuscitation on K-zwölf, it wasn't a kiss and it wasn't her body. I wish she'd just let it drop. She even said I was a terrible kisser."

"I see," L-elf muttered. "I have a memory of being kissed by Rukino Saki."

"Tokushima's memory?"

L-elf nodded. He thought that was obvious.

A-drei paused, his tumbler pressed against his lips. Then he lowered it, handing it to his friend. "I nearly made a very rude comment. Take the alcohol away from me."

L-elf drained the rice wine for his friend.

"Rukino Saki did not kiss me, and you did not kiss Rukino Saki."

"And I'm not a terrible kisser. And she wasn't my first kiss."

"It sounds like she really annoyed you."

"Not the first time, but the joke's got tiresome."

"So who was your first kiss, Andrei?"

"Who was yours?"

"I'm not telling."

"Was it Liselotte?"

As if that could ever have happened. "I'd never kissed her. Also I wasn't in love with her."

A-drei made a funny noise with his throat. "You've decided?"

"I realised it was an idea I clung onto for survival." L-elf could explain further but it would require too much effort, so he just left it there.

"Then who was it? Tokushima?"

"No. He was in love with Sashinami Shoko. Also my feelings only came after his death. I'd never kissed him."

"You fell in love with a dead man." A-drei tried to make it sound like he was disturbed but it ended up more like he found this conversation highly entertaining, so L-elf heaved a sigh.

"I never said I was in love with him."

"You just have feelings for him."

"Even that's not right." But what was it then? L-elf had had some thoughts about it earlier today. Conclusions had not yet been drawn, but having A-drei here and talking to him about it was helping. "I think that... these inconvenient memories he'd given me have taught me a lesson, and I have confused that lesson with the revelation itself. Perhaps."

A-drei took a moment to digest this. "So it's like... someone seeing a relationship therapist mistakenly thinking they're in love with the therapist?"

"You watch too much TV... but yes, I suppose."

"That was a novel actually." Twisting around and putting an elbow on the back cushion, A-drei curled his fist and rested his head on it, his gaze fixed on L-elf. "Last night you told me you had strong romantic feelings for these people, now you're saying it's all untrue. I know you don't do things by halves, but you've gone from zero straight to a hundred and back to zero again."

Wordless, L-elf reached for his drink and finished it in big gulps.

"Michael, are you feeling all right?"

"I'm not losing my mind."

"I just mean that's a very rough ricochet to go through."

Oh. "But a good one. I feel unburdened," L-elf said. Ah, there was something he needed to say. "Thank you."

"You're finally mastering sincerity." A-drei smiled.

"Don't push it."

"All right. But that's why I'm here: you seemed to be really struggling when we talked on video. So if I've managed to help then I'm glad."

"Are you certain that's not just an excuse, and the true reason is your birthday?"

"I might have had more than one motive, but if it's because it's my birthday and I wanted to spend it with you, is that a bad thing?"

Well, he got him there. "Of course not, Andrei. Either way you are a good friend."

The smile on A-drei's lips didn't change, though it was now also in his eyes. "I think you're drunk."

"No I'm not." Maybe a little bit. "I'm being sincere."

"You're definitely drunk."

"Not drunk enough to notice you've changed the topic. Who was your first kiss?"

"You've not told me who yours was."

"I have not kissed anyone."

"Well. Damn." A-drei looked shocked. "You're honest."

"Your turn."

"I just remembered something. What happened this morning? You left all of a sudden when we were on the Phantom ship."

Changing topic again. Never mind. A-drei was looking distinctly uncomfortable now, and L-elf wasn't the sort of person to find this kind of teasing very fun.

"The first time Tokushima Haruto and I found a ship like that, he was craving for runes but trying not to let it show. The Phantom today triggered that memory."

"I was hoping he only left you with the nice things. He was trying not to go vampire on you?"

 _Go vampire_. L-elf snorted. "I experienced a memory of wanting to go vampire on the nearest person."

Thinking about it was doing strange things to his head again. He tried to push himself off his friend — since when had he started leaning on A-drei? — but couldn't quite do it, since A-drei was slumped against him as well.

"You gave me a very odd look back there. Did you want to go for my neck?"

"I don't need runes. It was just a memory."

"Okay."

"But what if I did?"

"We're the two men brigade; we'd sort something out. You'd have to come and live with me though; I can't fly in every time you're hungry."

"Really? You'd let me?"

"I would."

"What if I drained you of your runes?"

"Then we'd have a problem. But you wouldn't need a lot if it's just to live on, right?"

"It hurts, you do know that. It's not a nibble."

"I know from the state of your neck. Just find somewhere to bite that's easy to hide."

"The nape? Where you hair covers?"

"That would work."

"Can I bite you?"

"I've already said I'd let you."

"I mean now."

A-drei moved just enough so that their eyes could meet. "You said you don't need runes."

"You have an attractive neck. I won't bite hard."

There was no response, then suddenly L-elf was being hauled to his feet. "Time for bed, Michael."

"What?"

"You're very, very drunk."

"Am I being disgraceful?"

"No."

"You said you dislike drunk people."

"You can be an exception. Hold on to me. Careful on the stairs."

"Hmm."

"Even getting drunk is zero straight to a hundred with you."

The stairs were not as hard to negotiate as A-drei made them sound.

"Are you sure I'm drunk?"

"Your speech is coherent, but I don't think your brain is."

"A-drei. Lukas Henry Andrei Theophilus... Andrei."

"That's my name."

"Can I kiss you?"

"You want me to be your first kiss?"

"Sorry. That was out of order. The neck thing as well. Sorry."

"It's fine. I forgive you."

"I think I'm in love with you."

"...Come on. Don't stop in the middle of the stairs. Up."

"Light switch on the left."

"I can see it."

Then L-elf was in his room, being tucked into bed very resolutely, with the edges of his blanket pushed under him so that it was as if he was being wrapped up.

"I know what love feels like now. I used my encounters with Liselotte as a crutch to keep myself going, but you're different."

"Mmhmm."

"You think I am falling for my therapist again. You're wrong."

"Mmhmm."

"I don't love Dorssia the way you do and I know that hurts you, I'm sorry."

"That's all right. It's the people that I care about." A-drei went down on one knee beside the bed so that he was at L-elf's eye level.

"But I do want to build a new world with you."

"That means a lot to me. Thank you. Now go to sleep."

"Blitzendegen!"

They stared at each other, then L-elf managed to free his arm from the cocoon of bedding so that he could salute, and A-drei pushed his own face into the mattress to muffle his laughter.

"Forget about being bodyjacked and shooting me, you could kill me just like this." He drew a deep breath, stood, holding onto a desk briefly for balance. "Sleep well, Michael."

"Goodnight. Happy birthday."

"It was the best one I've had in many years. Thank you."


	3. Chapter 3

The house was quiet. L-elf went to the bathroom, noting that the window was open and A-drei's towel damp, but the bathroom wasn't warm or humid from use anymore, so A-drei must have been up since some time ago.

L-elf took a shower, checked his messages — nothing worthy of note — and then went downstairs and straight into the kitchen, where he found A-drei perched on one of the stools at the little breakfast bar, reading.

"Good morning."

It was nearly afternoon. "Hmm." L-elf prepared his morning usual. "Drink?"

"I had tea already, thanks. How are you feeling?"

"Slightly sluggish, okay otherwise."

"Are you hungry?"

"A little."

"Right." A-drei put his phone down and slid off his seat. "I'll make breakfast."

Holding his milk tea, L-elf sat down across from where his friend was sitting. From here he watch the process of food being created. This wasn't bad at all. Waking up in his home, A-drei being here, and apparently cooked breakfast was available...

Hold on. "Are you cooking?"

Out came eggs, flour, bacon. "That's the plan."

The plan. A-drei had a plan yesterday morning that he was leaving until today. "You had a plan to cook breakfast?"

"Oh, oh no, not just any breakfast," said A-drei with great emphasis. "I'm making pancakes."

"Pancakes?"

"Pancakes."

"I have two questions. First: you know how to make pancakes?"

"When I went to see my uncle at the old palace, he made it his mission to teach me one everyday skill. It was more for bonding, really."

It sounded like they were about the same when it came to cooking skills, then, knowing the basics but usually just eating at canteens instead.

"Second: you came all the way to Module 77 to cook pancakes?"

"Not quite. I came to see you, and maybe feed you pancakes if there was a chance." A-drei had clearly surveyed the kitchen beforehand and knew where to find all the things he needed. Within moments he was whipping up a batter. "I can't cook a banquet like Sashinami, but my pancakes are quite good."

"I don't care what Sashinami Shoko's cooking is like," L-elf said over the brim of his mug, but couldn't tell if A-drei could hear him over the sound of food on the frying pan.

L-elf blew on his tea and drank it slowly. After just a short wait, he was handed a plate of pancakes and bacon, as well as a bottle of syrup.

He stared at the plate. His friend, leader of the Liberation Force, Prince of Dorssia and heir apparent, was spending the first time-off he could get in two years to come here, check if he was okay, and to make him breakfast.

He didn't need to have Tokushima's memories to see how much kindness there was on this plate.

"Michael?"

"Thank you." He squeezed over just a little bit of syrup, and started eating. A-drei had not lied — these were soft, fluffy, piping hot. Very good. And L-elf should not be surprised by what his friend had done or would do for him. Last night, despite knowing what was involved and what could go wrong, A-drei still said that he would let L-elf take his runes if necessary.

Last night. What else happened?

L-elf could remember how relaxed the alcohol made him feel. He remembered talks of first kisses, of runes, of singing. He remembered A-drei's body heat coming through his shirt as they sat slumped against each other. At the end of the night he must have gone to upstairs, otherwise he wouldn't have woken up in his bed. In fact he seemed to recall being tucked into bed...

"What work do you have today?"

"Last week you told me to draw up development plans for the next three years. We can go over those." His attention brought back to the present, L-elf habitually checked his phone. "That aside, assuming nothing explodes, then no other work."

"The leisurely life of the right hand; I should give you more to do."

"Something always explodes. Inevitably." L-elf tucked the phone back inside his pocket and carried on eating.

Maybe it was the way he said it, A-drei chuckled, his eyes crinkling with amusement, then he actually laughed when there was a buzz — L-elf's phone just vibrated.

"What's exploded?" A-drei asked, then checked his phone too as it also buzzed with a message, his face turning serious. If it was something that required the attention of them both, it couldn't be good.

"No explosion," L-elf said, having got his message first. "The UN is done with the Phantom. They're getting ready to leave."

"We'll go after pancakes."

"Prince A-drei likes to make the UN wait."

"Do you think I should go now?"

"No. Could I have a couple more pancakes?"

"Prince A-drei wouldn't make you wait. Well, not for more than a few minutes. Do you want bacon as well?" A-drei got off his stool, his own food half finished.

Although L-elf had never had guests stay over before, he did know that he probably shouldn't make his friend do all the cooking. "I'll help."

"Sit down. It's a _secret_ royal recipe passed down by the Emperor. One bacon? Two bacons?"

Well, one must not disobey one's prince. "Two bacons," L-elf replied with a laugh. "Thank you, Your Royal Highness."

They took their time to finish eating and get ready, but still arrived in good time back on the Phantom to meet with the UN representatives again. This time it was less formal, with minimal security present from the UN's side. From the looks of it, L-elf would surmise that a decision had been made to not merely tolerate, but to reach out to the prince and Module 77. Such relationships often began away from prying eyes, until both sides were certain of each other's intentions, and then they could become public. Not a backroom deal, not quite; it was a kind of courtship, in its own way.

Courtship. The Phantom...

L-elf remembered.

Last night, after he revealed the memory of rune hunger from Tokushima and A-drei said he would share his runes if necessary, L-elf asked if he could bite A-drei on the neck because he found it very attractive.

A-drei made a comment about how intoxicated L-elf was, and L-elf was helped to bed. Then words just fell out of his mouth, some of which were thoughts he had not shared before, and others as much a surprise to himself as they must have been to A-drei. But thinking about them now, they were accurate: he was in love with A-drei. It might be sudden, but it was no different from what people called "instinct", simply a thought process that had gone so fast and conclusion reached that it felt like there was no thought involved at all. Today he had woken up feeling the same way, he just hadn't looked for the words to describe it because it didn't seem to need defining.

The thing was, although A-drei dealt with all of it graciously, that bore no indication on what his true reactions were. And L-elf not being abashed about confessions didn't mean he wasn't aware that other people were. So far today A-drei was certainly acting as if nothing had happened.

He needed to consider all the scenarios before deciding on the next step. But first of all...

"I apologise again for the harassment last night," he said as soon as he could find a location where they could talk in private, one of the numerous abandoned classrooms in the school building. A-drei said he wanted to see the command centre, so they were on their way there.

A-drei shook his head. He was suddenly a little tense. "It's come back to you."

"Yes. And I'm sorry." L-elf could not believe he had asked if he could... bite A-drei. And if he could kiss him.

"And I forgive you again," said A-drei, his expression schooled to perfect neutrality à la Carlstein training, which said more than if it was otherwise. "You had too much to drink. Don't worry about it."

This was the simple solution. L-elf was being handed a ticket out of the situation. He should accept it, probably. Would this make A-drei feel relieved?

But he wasn't good at this kind of social... dance. And he wasn't interested in it either. He would apologise for the manner of approach, but not for the way he felt.

Walking around the perimeter of the classroom, A-drei studied the notices, posters and the large crack across one of the walls. Around the other side, where there used to be windows facing the sports fields, all of the glass was gone, shattered the vibration from the giant drill Cain brought here once. Nothing had been cleaned up, and A-drei wove his way cautiously around the debris until he chose to sit down at one of the desks towards the back.

From near the door, L-elf looked straight at his friend. If what he said last night bothered A-drei too much, they wouldn't have enjoyed such a companionable morning. Maybe it was a polite rejection. Maybe A-drei really did think those were just nonsensical words from a drunken man.

Must his confessions always be judged immature and ill-considered? It was that way with Liselotte. Would A-drei question the seriousness of his feelings as well?

"I meant what I said." L-elf took a few steps further inside the classroom. "I am in love with you. The drinking has nothing to do with it."

The slow, steady way A-drei's face took on a subtle hint of pink was quite endearing to watch.

"You are so direct."

L-elf arched an eyebrow, and A-drei shrugged.

"Just admitting that you have a crush on someone is difficult for a lot of people, whereas you don't seem to have a problem using the L-word even though you're not known for sharing your viewpoints and feelings often."

Well, A-drei had a point. L-elf didn't know why either, but he wasn't going to be troubled by the fact that he wasn't troubled.

"Also," A-drei continued, "what you actually said was you _thought_ you were in love with me. That's very different," he pointed out, finally cracking a smile.

Ah. Yes, that was the actual wording. His friend had always been good at picking out the little details.

"Well, I _was_ intoxicated."

A short pause, and they both snorted.

"'The drinking has nothing to do with it'?" A-drei quipped.

"I'm not intoxicated now."

L-elf walked closer, then chose to sit down at the desk just next to A-drei's. Memory told him that Sashinami Shoko used to sit two desks in front of Tokushima Haruto, and he used to stare at the back of her head everyday, wishing he had the courage to ask her out. But L-elf wasn't Tokushima. Briefly he wondered what he would have done if he hadn't confessed his feelings last night. He was sure he still would have done something about it, not just sit and stare.

Well, at least he got through the part where he confessed his feelings. Whether or not he could ask A-drei out was an entirely different matter. He would if he could see a high percentage of success, but he could still glean nothing from his friend yet.

"Michael," said A-drei, and L-elf turned to face him, "you seem to fall in love easily, and fall out of it just as fast. Maybe if it was Kriemhild who stayed with you, you would've liked her. And maybe by tomorrow your feelings would have changed again."

L-elf gaped at his friend, wordless.

This was a kind of pain he had never experienced before, to have his feelings analysed, and then trivialised. He could see why A-drei said it, he could absolutely understand why his friend saw things that way, and yet...

"I had explained to you," it took effort to hold his voice steady, "what it was that I felt for Liselotte and Tokushima Haruto."

A-drei's brows knotted. He looked like he regretted what he said. "You did. But... I suppose I just don't understand. I know your brain works at a hundred lightyears per hour whether you're strategising or planning dinner, but—"

"I rarely plan dinner."

"Haha, true. It's just... apparently you work just as fast when it comes to your feelings."

"Is that strange?"

A-drei tipped his head to the side. "I would say it's different from a lot of people."

All right. That L-elf could accept. A-drei would know about things like that better than he did, being the one people turned to when they needed to talk.

"So you accept that I meant what I said." L-elf phrased his sentence carefully.

A-drei nodded.

"Does it bother you?"

"No. Not at all." A-drei folded his arms on the dusty desk.

It almost sounded like A-drei dealt with this sort of thing all the time. It was highly possible that he had a lot of admirers. But how did he feel about any of them? About L-elf? Was L-elf just one of many? Would he consider him?

L-elf wasn't well-versed with these things, but he would guess that the lack of a proper answer from A-drei meant the response would be negative.

L-elf turned away, facing the front of the classroom once more. Well, he didn't require any form of response. He would just pine quietly then; he wasn't too different from Tokushima after all.

But at least he could be thankful that A-drei truly seemed unfazed that a long time male friend had become attracted to him. It meant their friendship should be unharmed.

"I know how you like to go from zero straight to a hundred, but you've been through a lot losing Liselotte and Tokushima, and you've been reshuffling things in your head just in the last two days. Take some time. We can talk about this again later."

They should revisit this? Why? "Tonight then." L-elf made himself look at A-drei again. "Since you leave tomorrow."

"I mean more like a few days but... all right." A-drei smiled and stood. "I believe you were going to show me your command centre."

L-elf got out of his chair. "Is that a euphemism?" he asked, pausing for a moment out of disbelief that those words just came out of his own mouth. "I'm sorry."

"I don't know which is funnier: your face right now, or what you've said. Probably your face." A-drei clapped him on the back. "Let's go."

Something felt suspicious, like A-drei had just wiped his hand on L-elf's back. L-elf tried to look over his shoulder, then narrowed his eyes at his friend, who shrugged at him.

"It's filthy here; the place needs a good clean."

"That's not 'no I haven't just wiped my hand on you'."

"I haven't said no; you haven't asked me."

L-elf paused in his tracks.

Did he mean...

They went to the command centre, then swung by the Valvrave hangar so that L-elf could check a few things. Rukino Saki wasn't there, to A-drei's relief.

"Are you really so wary of her?" L-elf couldn't help but ask.

"Not really," said A-drei, observing Valvrave I being prepared for deployment alongside five of the Liberation's retrofitted Ideals. "I just want to have a good comeback ready before I see her again."

"Just tell her..." L-elf began, but stopped and stepped back when the Liberation's pilots arrived, all of them coming over to greet their general as soon as they saw him. A-drei spent a few moments to talk to them and the pilots, some of whom were grown adults more than twice his age, were clearly captivated by the prince and motivated by the attention they were given. This was not surprising at all: since their forces became allies, L-elf had watched in person and via video A-drei giving prep talks and doing debriefs with groups large and small, and he excelled at it.

At first when L-elf heard that his friend had become the leader of the Liberation Force, he had had some questions as to how A-drei had achieved such a thing. But after just one meeting, L-elf understood that A-drei was a true leader who could inspire, and he probably always had been, but he had suppressed these qualities as a special agent with royal blood planning a revolution.

Also, A-drei was rather dazzling to watch when he was in his element, talking to his people, fighting alongside them.

"Wow, look at him."

L-elf gave the new arrival, who wasn't in a pilot suit today, a sidelong glance. "Rukino Saki."

"Do you always have to use full names? You sound like my mum when I'm in trouble. Call me Rukino or Saki-chan like everyone else!"

"I refuse."

Rukino tsked, her eyes back on A-drei and the pilots. "He's good at this," she said again. "You should learn from him."

L-elf knew that. People followed him because they shared the same goal and they acknowledged his abilities and authority, but he didn't have charisma that made people love him, unlike A-drei.

He replied, "it's A-drei's thing." Perhaps it was something L-elf could work on, but he liked it this way.

Crossing her arms in front of her chest, Rukino tipped her head, half pouting as she regarded L-elf. "You know, a long time ago the prince told me that the battlefield was the only place that K-zwölf... and people with your background... could prove that there were meanings to your lives, because that's all you've ever learned."

"He said that."

"He even said that outside of the battlefield there's no place for him to belong, and he hadn't thought about life after the war. I told him he should start giving it some thought."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"I want to know what you think!"

"You worry for him?"

"Don't you?"

"No." L-elf exhaled deeply. Why were they even talking about this? "We were only taught how to fight and kill on a battlefield, but there are other things that are learned and acquired through fighting. A-drei will transition and adapt well."

She seemed happy with that. "How about you though?"

Him? He was the one who might have problems when the new era dawned. But why did she care? "A new country or empire will still require defence and security. That is where I will fit in."

This reply seemed to be less satisfactory to her but it didn't matter, he wasn't here to please her. Hopefully she had enough answers to stop asking questions for a while.

"Ah well. Anyway, as soon as we're done with the fighting, I'm going to hold a live! I told A-drei I'd invite him so I suppose you can come as well."

"This war is not being fought so that you can hold concerts, Rukino Saki."

Rukino put her hands on her hips. "But the two of you like my music, right?" she asked with a knowing look. "You recognised my song yesterday."

Shame wasn't an emotional L-elf had to suppress often, and he hope he had managed to contain it. He decided saying nothing was the best strategy. It looked like A-drei was nearly done, he better get in there before she tried to start another conversation with either of them. Ignoring Rukino completely, he marched over to A-drei.

"Your Royal Highness."

A-drei nodded at him, then at the pilots he had been talking to. "I have an appointment I must head to." He saluted, and received the same in return. "A swift victory for you, lieutenants."

A-drei rejoined L-elf and made a quick exit.

"You had a desperate look just now."

"I've been invited to Rukino Saki's future 'live'."

"Good thing I rescued you then." A-drei laughed quietly. "What's next?"

"Anything in particular you'd like to do?" L-elf asked. "Get some souvenirs for the Emperor?"

"Hmm, I do want more of those animal biscuits, and rice wine too."

The wine was good. However. "As long as you take the wine away with you and not open it at my house again."

"A wise idea." A-drei smirked. "It would be a problem if you started singing _Blitzendegen_ in front of people."

Oh, god, last night. "You were the one singing!"

"You made me!" A-drei elbowed L-elf in the ribs, but this move was anticipated and L-elf grabbed A-drei's arm to throw him off his feet in the low gravity environment, sending him floating.

"Oi!" A-drei turned himself around so that he could put his feet to the ceiling and push himself off the solid surface, and as he headed down he pushed L-elf so that he was off balance as well

Low gravity tussling was one of the odd traditions the Perfect Army had. They were always spontaneous, taking place as soon as the five of them were alone and if they were walked in on, they would pretend it was absolutely normal for them to be floating all over the place. L-elf hadn't actually done it since he first set foot on Module 77, but it came naturally to him as if he was still with A-drei and the others everyday like he used to.

Giving up on floor contact, L-elf chose to use the grips along the wall to steady himself in case of another attack. There were security cameras on all the corridors leading to the hangar with video being fed directly to screens inside, so people could be watching, but he found that he didn't really care. A-drei was laughing, launching himself at him and muttering something that sounded suspiciously like "I'm going to blitzen-your-degen" and L-elf just could not make himself care about what other people might think even if he tried.

He had done something similar before with Tokushima Haruto, that time their pod crash landed on the Moon's surface. But when they fought they really meant it, as if hurting each other would end their own grief.

A-drei was coming over, probably expecting L-elf to dodge, but L-elf stayed still and let his friend bump straight into him. Without thinking, he let go of the wall grip and wrapped his arms around A-drei, squeezing hard.

"L-elf?"

"I'm sorry for trying to kill you so many times."

A-drei took a moment to respond. "You thought you needed to remove everyone and everything that was in your way. I was in your way."

"Hmm."

"Tell me something: why didn't you kill Q-vier?" A-drei asked. "He told me he challenged you to a knife fight when you rescued my cousin. I know he was no match to you. You could have killed him right there and then." An arm wound loosely around L-elf's waist, another around his shoulder, the hand resting on the back of his head.

Why didn't L-elf kill Q-vier? "I don't have a simple answer to that."

"Was it harder when he wasn't piloting a machine? When you could see his face?"

"Perhaps." L-elf drew a shuddering breath. This felt comforting, having A-drei pressed against him. And he had never thought he needed this kind of comfort until he impulsively hugged his friend for the first time in all these years. "Also I... didn't _want_ to kill any of you."

"I understand. I didn't want to hurt him either." The arm around L-elf tightened. "You know... I'd rather he were still alive, but I wish you'd killed him when you had the chance. Then I wouldn't have had to be the one to do it."

"Sorry about that."

They held each other, quiet for a moment, then A-drei spoke again.

"I knew you weren't out to get us, but it's nice to hear it from the horse's mouth." There was a hint of a smile in his voice. "And it's nice to know you felt that way before you assimilated Tokushima."

This must have been important to A-drei, L-elf realised, but he hadn't thought about it until now. It was his decision to spare Q-vier, his desire not to kill his former squadmates. Maybe the time spent with the Sakimori students had changed him, but his behaviour wasn't a result of having gained Tokushima's memories.

"I 'assimilated' Tokushima Haruto?"

"You sound offended?"

"Assimilation was what DMPF did to the federation member states."

"No, assimilation was what they called it, what they actually did was cultural erasure. You absorbed Tokushima's experiences and then adapted — that's what assimilation truly means. You haven't erased him, and you haven't become him." There was a shift, and A-drei moved backed a little but not quite out of L-elf's space, fingertips lingering in L-elf's hair. "You are still very much you."

L-elf really, really wanted to kiss the man in front of him. The need was making his chest ache.

A-drei was teasing him, he knew it, and he knew that A-drei knew he knew it. Did it mean an approach would be welcomed? He wished he'd watched more television or paid attention to other people's romantic interactions to help him decipher this situation. But either way, this wasn't the right place for something like that.

He turned away. "We should go."

They restarted their way out of the building, passing the abandoned library, an infirmary that was in use, the assembly hall which had been repurposed for storage. All the while, A-drei had an indecipherable smile on his lips.

"Is this a lot of fun for you?" L-elf asked, although he probably shouldn't have. Maybe A-drei was messing around with his feelings a bit, but he didn't hate it. He would even say it was quite thrilling.

"This... oh. Actually I was..." A-drei went through a side door that led to the sports field where L-elf's car was parked. "I was thinking about..." He heaved a sigh. "That's the problem with letting my guard down around you; you read things on my face."

How odd. "Don't explain if you don't want to."

"I just don't want you to think I'm deliberately trying to upset or annoy you," said A-drei, who received a curious look from L-elf. "I was thinking about the first time I kissed someone."

A-drei knew L-elf wanted to kiss him, but wouldn't do it where they were and felt that he couldn't do it until he knew for certain that he had permission. Which... made A-drei think about when he kissed someone else? What an insult.

"See, I thought you'd get angry."

"I'm not angry."

Another sigh. A-drei looked around to check that they were alone. "I'll add context: I'd kissed people before, on the cheek or quickly on the lips, things like that. But the first time I properly kissed someone, I was also in uniform, and we were alone, and there were a couple of cameras overhead as well, like how it was back there." He gestured at the school building. "But I'd already disabled the cameras because of something else I had to take care of." They walked to the car, and A-drei leaned against the door. "Sascha just... came up to me and kissed me with no warning at all."

That wasn't a name L-elf recognised. And whoever Sascha was, she was certainly bolder — or less considerate — than he was.

"It was a really... bad day. It was all just adrenaline, we weren't into each other, but that moment, I guess, I just needed _something_. As did Sascha. A warm body with a mouth. It didn't matter who it was."

So this was what jealousy felt like.

Just how bad was that bad day? That wasn't a side of A-drei L-elf even knew existed, and they had been through life and death together.

"Some people would have chosen to start a fight instead."

"Haha, yes. I think our solution was better."

"Certainly less painful."

"I think we were there for a good five, ten minutes. Sascha managed to get a hand inside my uniform — that's the old DMPF uniform, it's not easy to get your hand in!" A-drei laughed. "I had to make sure it stayed on my midriff; higher or lower and he would've touched things he wasn't prepared for."

There were a few facts L-elf picked up from A-drei's words. From what was described, that wasn't a simple kiss, and Sascha was a man. "You... made out with a heterosexual man."

"Mmm hmm. He would've preferred curves but at that point it really didn't matter." A-drei shrugged. "He didn't even care where my hands were."

That implied that A-drei's own preference was male.

"What happened that day?"

"It's easier to just tell you how it ended: we went on a mission after that, and he didn't make it back." A-drei glanced at L-elf, who had "I'm sorry" on the edge of his lips. "Me too. Now you know why I didn't want to talk about it and ruin the mood last night."

"Ah." Damn. It would be wrong to be jealous of a dead man, wouldn't it.

"But just now I was thinking that if he were alive I'd tease the hell out of him for what happened, and I was imagining how he'd react."

So that was why A-drei was smiling so strangely earlier. L-elf didn't know if his friend needed comforting or not and anyway, he wasn't good at that sort of thing. But apparently A-drei enjoyed his dismal humour so maybe he should try that.

"I am beginning to realise," he crossed his arms in front of his chest, turned towards his friend and regarded him, frowning, "that team dad is in control of many people's secrets, which he might abuse for his own entertainment."

A-drei crossed his arms too. "Only if you die on me."

"Noted. I shall refrain from doing so. Although I can't guarantee anything if you are determined to _blitzen_ my _degen_."

"Is that a euphemism?"

After a long pause, A-drei dipped his head and tried not to giggle at his own joke but failed horribly when L-elf began to laugh.

"Those were your words, so only you can answer that question."

"Well..." A-drei's shoulders were shaking with laughter. "Maybe?"

Maybe. That wasn't good enough. A-drei had been teasing and flirting today, but he didn't seem to want to give a solid answer. Was it because L-elf hadn't actually asked the question yet? He hinted that he wanted L-elf to wait until tonight. Because he wanted L-elf to spend more time to think about if he was really in love, perhaps. But that gave L-elf no clue as to how A-drei felt about him. Even he knew that flirting was just a bit of fun to some people and meant nothing serious.

"Andrei?"

"Hmm?"

"What are you really thinking?"

The meaning behind the question was obvious, but A-drei took his time to mull over it and when he answered, it wasn't what he had been asked. "Do you want to go out for dinner tonight?" He took out his phone and played around with it.

"Andrei."

"What kind of food do you prefer?" A-drei looked up from the screen. "French or Chinese?"

There was no doubt that A-drei was avoiding the question. L-elf couldn't decide how to react to this behaviour.

"Try French."

"All right." A-drei looked at his phone screen again, pressing a button. "And booked. 7 o'clock, table for two."

"All right." L-elf didn't know what he could say, really.

"Let's go back. We can look at your development plans until dinner."

L-elf unlocked the car. "You can just say no. I can handle it."

"It's not like that."

"Don't think that you have to keep me happy for the sake of the revolution."

"Gosh, no."

"Then what are you doing?"

"I booked a table for dinner. Even if we have to truncate it, I want to try the things other people get to do."

Maybe this was what Rukino Saki was talking about — looking forward to the future, and also experiencing the ordinary. A-drei, being who he was, would not get many chances to do this even after the war was over. L-elf had enjoyed something that bore a sort of semblance to normal life during his time with the students, he didn't begrudge A-drei for wanting a taste of the same. It was just...

No. He must be pushing too hard. This. Now. Find the solution. Complete the task. That was the way L-elf was trained to act, trained to think, but apparently that approach couldn't be applied to everything. Even A-drei, who had grown up the same way, had pointed out multiple times that L-elf kept going from zero immediately to a hundred, indicating that it was not the normal way to handle some things.

L-elf needed to slow down. Or even stop. So what if A-drei wouldn't give him an answer? He didn't owe him any answer. For most people, these things took time. Maybe L-elf would have to wait weeks, months, maybe even years, but in the meantime he had A-drei's friendship. A-drei would spend time to consider the future and think about what he truly wanted. If he then decides he couldn't reciprocate L-elf's feelings, then there was nothing L-elf could do about it. It was not possible for him to go to a hundred by himself, because they had to meet in the middle. No matter how far he stretched his arm, they could never touch if A-drei would not reach back. And that was how relationships worked. It was about timing, and about the other person's feelings, the first of which he had botched, and the second he could not control.

Tokushima Haruto had waited, and waited, and waited, until the time was right. That time never came; he and Sashinami were kept apart by the turmoils of war. L-elf used to think Tokushima was a fool to have waited so long, but actually the boy wasn't wrong, merely unlucky.

When they revisited this tonight, L-elf decided, this was what he would say: that he was sure about how he felt, but he didn't need any sort of response. A-drei should take all the time he needed to think, or simply not think about it at all if he didn't want to. They would continue to work as the two men brigade and A-drei would always have his friendship and respect.

"All right, let's go home. Like you said: get some work done, and then dinner."


	4. Chapter 4

They returned home and L-elf tabled the three year plan A-drei asked him to draft, which had six main scenario variations, each with up to twelve further variations. A-drei took it all in easily — he was used to L-elf's detailed prophecies — and had no questions, only additions.

"At least we finally have Module B612; final piece of the Dyson Sphere puzzle. You'd think that with more people living on Modules the Sphere would be the more difficult part, but it's Earth that's the problem." said A-drei, flipping to another section which had numerous timetables and roadmaps for the republic formerly known as JIOR. "Without you I wouldn't get anywhere."

"You would have made these plans yourself if I was unavailable. I am just saving you the time and effort."

"I'm not so sure about that," said A-drei as he made annotations to the plans. "There was a reason why you were handpicked by Cain for personal tutoring."

An undeniable fact, and L-elf wasn't the type to act humble. But that was a simplistic view. "Having Cain's attention wasn't always so great."

"Ha, I suppose not."

"He always said I didn't move fast enough. 'Learn from A-drei.'"

"He said that?"

"All the time."

"Speed is the one thing I have over you."

"It's the legs. You're taller." Also reactions quick enough for dodging a bullet aimed at his head.

"Then you should have less drag to slow you down."

A-drei smirked, and L-elf arched an eyebrow.

"But in the last two days you accused me of going too fast."

"Ooooh. Touché, L-elf."

There were other things that Cain said: too slow, too many wasteful movements; far too stiff when you approach people — anyone can tell you're an assassin from a mile away; can you not even manage a sociable smile? You can't even charm school children, much less a target; I don't care that you're a peasant, but you have no charisma, you're not leader material. At this rate I can never hand the squad over to you. I would suggest that you learn from A-drei but I suspect it is something you'll never pick up.

Despite all that, Cain liked to call L-elf his "greatest creation" — he was actually quite proud of L-elf. Even at the start, L-elf somehow already knew that it was simply Cain's hobby to create rivalries. He tried to play along, to an extent, but little did Cain know that L-elf had already decided to be the kingmaker, not the king.

He just never imagined that he would fall in love with his prince, his king.

A-drei had retrieved all the pieces of paper spread on every surface, putting them back in roughly the right order and handing them back to L-elf. "Here."

"I'll relook the strategy for the areas around the Persian Gulf."

"Sorry you weren't given the full picture to work with. Asking for three years of predictions was unreasonable."

"It's fine. From what you've said, things may end up simpler."

"Yes. When I met their leaders last week I was surprised as well." A-drei wove his fingers together and stretched his arms, then checked the time. "I'm going to get ready for dinner."

After that announcement, A-drei disappeared upstairs, and soon L-elf heard the sound of the shower. Hadn't A-drei only showered this morning?

L-elf tidied up and went to his bedroom to stare at his closet, which was very limited. For work he had uniforms and a suit. For situations outside of work he had a few t-shirts, two pairs of trousers and a coat. Scarves were the clothing items he had most variations of. But if they were going to a restaurant, he couldn't keep a scarf on to hide the scars on his neck, and none of his casual clothes would work with a cravat. Maybe the polo neck? Would that look strange in this weather?

So much for prophecies. L-elf could never have predicted that one day he would suffer from a wardrobe crisis just for doing something as normal as going out for food.

He went downstairs, stopping on the landing to take a peek. A-drei had showered and had a dress shirt, a waistcoat and a smart jacket draped across the back of the sofa — he was going to dress up. Then again, A-drei rarely dressed down.

Well, that solved the problem. L-elf would wear the suit then. The shirt collar would be tall enough to hide everything, if not then he could add the cravat.

When he was dressed and went downstairs, he was greeted with a gentle, genuine smile.

"Look at you."

"I can't look sloppy when accompanying the Prince of Dorssia in public," L-elf said. He would compliment A-drei in return, but he had never been good at saying the nice things, and perhaps it would come across wrong and make A-drei think he was pushing again.

But A-drei did look handsome. He was dressed smartly, had his hair tied back to reveal his neck, and most of his fringe was swept away from his face. And...

"Let's go."

And he smelled nice. L-elf paused momentarily when his friend walked past him for the front door. The scent was warm, woody, a little spicy, reminding him of campfires in winter. It wasn't something from his bathroom.

He discreetly took a deep breath through his mouth, willing his heart to stop racing. He'd spent time with other people who wore scents before; H-neun liked his aftershaves. Reaction was unnecessary just because A-drei put cologne on.

The restaurant A-drei picked was located on the top of one of the highrises in the commercial district, above many floors of disused offices. It was booked under the name L-elf Carlstein which must have made the staff pay special attention, because two of the best tables in the house had been reserved for them to choose from: the one by the glass wall which offered the best view of the many bridges that were lit up at night, or the one in the private room which offered a partial view but much more privacy.

"Room?" A-drei looked at L-elf, who had no objection. They were led to their table by an old, clearly experienced waiter who recognised just who these diners were but mentioned nothing, and only offered to take their jackets and said he would be back shortly to take their drinks order.

They both kept their jackets with them, choosing to hang them on their chairs instead, and A-drei flashed a knowing smile once the waiter had left them alone. In a sense, they were dressed down — L-elf only had two knives on him, one in an arm holster and the other in a sheath on his belt, and A-drei was similarly armed, with the addition of a pistol that was in plain sight. Module 77 was a military station with just their own people so in theory they didn't need to be armed at all, but some habits were too hard to shake. Before they sat down, L-elf even did a quick scan for any suspicious devices.

"Well, that can't be helped," said A-drei, looking around, then out the window, before letting his gaze settle on L-elf, his arms folded on the table. "But this is nice, I think. It's quite romantic."

A-drei was in a teasing mood again, L-elf thought. He was just teasing, wasn't he?

No, wait. What if—

Oh, he was such an idiot.

"Forgive me if I keep bungling; Carlstein's curriculum was lacking," L-elf muttered. "Cain also taught me nothing. "

A-drei chuckled. "Neither did the JIORians, nor Tokushima, I gather."

"Tokushima Haruto would only make a counterexample." This wasn't accurate, but L-elf didn't care.

"The poor boy. And what did you say to Liselotte?"

"I asked her to please let me... abduct her," L-elf looked away abruptly, an odd mix of mortification and defensiveness rising in his chest. He'd never felt like this before.

As expected, A-drei chortled. "I suppose that is kind of romantic, in a way," he said. "If it helps, I don't know how to do this either."

That actually was quite reassuring. "I know what I'm not doing: have alcohol," said L-elf, picking up the drinks menu and flipping straight to the tea and coffee page.

A-drei did the same. Drinking and weapons never mixed well. "You did have a lot last night."

"I almost never drink. Was I a nuisance? Apart from the obvious..."

His gaze strayed to A-drei's neck, then L-elf chided himself, immediately looking up again. Damn, A-drei probably deliberately tied his hair back tonight just to taunt him.

"You were surprisingly docile, actually. And very sweet."

"Only because it was you."

A-drei blinked and dipped his head, busy reading the menu as if to hide a blush.

L-elf could only hope that he would not mess this up. A-drei never meant to make him wait indefinitely; he just wanted a bit of time to have a taste of normal life outside of war. And he certainly deserved better than a drunken confession, a discussion in a dusty classroom, and a question at a sports field. He put off talking about it until tonight because that was when they should be able have time to themselves and they could find a better setting to explore the subject.

Put simply: A-drei wanted a date, and since L-elf had no clue what he was doing, A-drei took the reins and made it happen.

Maybe after all these years, L-elf had forgotten, or even never learned that relationships could be fun as well as serious.

They placed their orders, and cutlery was laid out for them. A-drei took a look and snorted.

"Time to see if I still remember what my tutor taught me."

"You had a tutor?"

"Yes, several. I had lessons with some other children on dining etiquette, elocution, deportment, courtly graces... I also had to learn calligraphy, dance and music."

Ah. The aristocratic life. "That is a lot to learn for a child."

"We learned survival skills aged seven."

"Point."

A-drei picked up a knife and stared at his own reflection. "It wasn't terrible; they made it into a game and I was very competitive as a child. Anyway, I think my parents didn't expect me to perfect everything right away. It was more a 'start him when he's still young' approach."

"I see." L-elf stared at the table in puzzlement. He should have picked Chinese food, chopsticks and spoon would have been far less complicated. "Then you can help this peasant and tell me which is what. I have two spoons."

"If I remember correctly, the one on your right is for the soup. The little one above the plate you can ignore; that's for dessert."

"And what's this?" L-elf touched a little spatula-looking tool on the small plate to his upper left.

"Butter knife. For bread."

His question was answered, but his hand stayed where it was, because A-drei had reached forward and grasped it.

"Revising my chance of success to 65%."

"You can go higher."

"Can I?"

"I'm..." A-drei's teeth grazed his lower lip, and his cheeks turned a little pink. "I'm already in love with you," he whispered.

L-elf must have misheard. His heart leapt, and his hand too, and A-drei held it tighter.

"That was hard. I really don't know how you could say it so easily."

"You... since when?"

"I don't know. A long time ago. I came here because I wanted to make sure you're all right, and I missed you. I thought by the end of my stay I would have figured out if I wanted to do anything about it."

L-elf studied their hands, then lifted his gaze to meet A-drei's again. "Then why dance around the topic all this time?"

"Well, first you made me think you were dating Sashinami and you were going to settle here for good."

"That was purely your own imagination."

"Tell me it didn't look like you were introducing me to your girlfriend."

"Hm... well."

"Then you told me you were confused by Tokushima's memories, and you talked about all these people you might or might not love. I thought it was a bad time for me to do anything."

"Ah."

"And after that, you decided that you liked me, but you were drunk and probably didn't mean it."

L-elf winced a little inside his head. All right, he got it now. Without realising it, he had been utterly unkind to A-drei's feelings. Little wonder that A-drei wanted to make him wait, to get him back for all this. Also he was right, L-elf was going too fast and missing out on many things: the excitement of two people gradually becoming closer, the pleasure of taking a date to dinner, the thrill when their hands touched.

"I meant it then, I mean it now." His fingers were stiff. His whole body felt stiff. He didn't know how to react. He had never been one to take chances when the odds, as he understood them, were so low. But he had won and he felt like he couldn't handle the joy. "I was going to tell you to take your time. I was prepared to stay as your friend."

"Oh, hell no." A-drei actually leaned forward, lifting L-elf hand to kiss it. "I'm ready to go from zero to two thousand with you, Michael."

If L-elf had less self control he would have shivered. What did that even mean? "Don't make promises unless you intend to keep them, Prince."

"Oh, but I do." A-drei nibbled on L-elf's knuckles.

That felt... nice. "If you are trying to make me feel embarrassed, this is not going to work."

"Are you so far past the point of caring that you feel no shame anymore?"

"I am. Stop eating my hand; the waiter will back soon."

A-drei's eyes darted to the side. He let go just before the waiter returned.

It looked like this was going to be a long night, but quite soon they both relaxed and simply enjoyed dinner, because each other's company just felt natural. And flirting was fun but only in moderation.

After the main course — they'd turn down desserts but asked for coffee — A-drei's phone vibrated. He picked up the call.

"Kriemhild. I'm fine. ...I see." A-drei looked at L-elf, shaking his head — this wasn't anything urgent. "Thank you. I did ask you to let me know immediately if there is good news... Yes... Give me the breakdown later. I'm busy... I'm on a date... Yes you heard me right. All right... We'll speak later."

"Good news?" L-elf asked when A-drei ended the call.

"The situation around the Persian Gulf just simplified even further. The person we want got elected. Landslide victory."

That was indeed good news. L-elf was about to make a comment when his phone buzzed with a message.

_Kriemhild: Are you with HRH right now?_

L-elf showed the message to A-drei, who snorted, before replying.

_L11: Yes. I am his date._

There was a long pause, then a new message arrived.

_Kriemhild: He likes his steak medium rare. He doesn't like beans, green peppers or lamb. Don't put milk in his tea. He's allergic to latex. And please no coffee after 11 otherwise he can't sleep._

"I'm not a picky eater like that." L-elf showed his phone to A-drei again, who pulled a face. "And I don't like lamb? I'm not a monster!"

"She knows that we grew up together. If you have any food habits, I would know them," L-elf said. "She's not serious."

"She better not be. The only thing that's true there is the milk," said A-drei. "Actually I don't even know if I'm allergic to latex."

L-elf stared at his phone for a moment, and composed his response.

_L11: Doesn't matter, I don't plan on letting him sleep tonight._

As expected, Kriemhild did not reply again. Hopefully she had tossed her phone away in a fit of embarrassment.

As they left the restaurant, however, a thought came to L-elf, and he sent her another message.

_L11: Did you know anyone who matched this profile? Sascha. Male. KIA during DMPF rule after my defection to New JIOR. Worked alongside A3._

No reply right away. Either Kriemhild really had broken her phone or she was busy.

He knew he shouldn't have asked. Whoever Sascha was, he was dead. And A-drei already explained the situation. Even if he hadn't and he liked this Sascha, so what?

Something just kept niggling at L-elf's mind, however. He tried to put it down to simple curiosity, but...

They walked down the lit streets of the commercial district with no particular destination in mind. It wasn't something L-elf often did, just strolling. When he walked anywhere there was usually a purpose, if he wasn't looking for something then he was memorising and analysing the layout. But now he didn't really know what to do with himself. Even if Rukino Saki hadn't questioned about it earlier, L-elf knew that he had little idea about how to live a "normal" life.

It didn't matter to him as much as it probably should, though. And he assumed A-drei didn't mind either — if "normal" was what A-drei wanted then surely he wouldn't like L-elf. So L-elf simply didn't care enough about "normal", except for right now, when that could have given him a clue as to what he should be doing.

He found himself talking, describing the city the way he knew it: the giant advertising screen he used to broadcast messages to Sakimori students when they were away from the base; the fact that the refuge floor in one of the highrises was not for refuge at all and had two fighter jets parked inside, a secret which A-drei was the first person to know beside himself; the cafe he once visited with some soldiers from the Dorssia Liberation Front because they would not take no for an answer.

For each little snippet of information shared, A-drei had questions: did L-elf stand in front of a camera and talk like the Führer or did he do it all in text which he suspected L-elf did?; what kind of jets were they and why did JIOR bother with those when they had Valvraves?; did L-elf have a good time — because A-drei encouraged those soldiers to do that... what was that look for?

If A-drei was bored, he wasn't showing it. And there was no sign that he didn't want L-elf to take his hand either. If anything, the subtle change in his expression told L-elf that it was exactly what he wanted.

He hoped they wouldn't be staying out for too long. Not letting A-drei sleep tonight was a vastly exaggerated claim — and he couldn't even say for sure if they would kiss, although he certainly hoped so — but he wanted to spend time with A-drei without other people around.

Oh, hell. Who was he fooling? His hand still tingled where A-drei bit him earlier at the restaurant. He wanted to sleep with A-drei. He wanted to take his clothes off and touch him all over, make him feel good. Maybe he would moan in desire. Maybe he would laugh and turn the tables on L-elf, giving him no choice but to submit. But this was their first date and he was not going to expect anything, whatever A-drei said during dinner.

He took a deep breath.

He was L-elf Carlstein, known by the military as the one man brigade, and by the world as the person who slit the Führer's throat live on television. He spent ten years in an army waiting for the chance to bring it down. He was capable of patience and some self control. Now think about something other than sex.

A-drei said he loved him.

A-drei loved him?

He did not consider himself interesting or desirable. He was intolerant. He was demanding. He was inexpressive. Physically, he was wiry and not that tall. He loved, yes, but he never thought — as in he never spent the time to consider — that he could be loved. When he tried to rescue Liselotte, he didn't dare to assume that she would love him in return.

He had lived his life so hard and fast that, despite his young age, he felt like he had lived three lifetimes already. And this was only the first time he had dared to hope, and by some miracle, he was rewarded.

No, "reward" was the wrong word. He was just very, very lucky.

"Michael? Is something bothering you?"

A-drei leaned over, close enough for L-elf to smell the cologne he was wearing. The proximity was making it difficult to think.

"It's nothing."

The denial caused a raised eyebrow. L-elf contemplated just telling the truth since he wasn't embarrassed, but doing so might ruin the romantic mood A-drei wanted, so maybe...

His phone started vibrating. Frowning, L-elf took it out of his pocket. There was a message from Kriemhild, replying to his earlier question about Sascha.

_Kriemhild: Is this your idea of a joke?!_

Sascha was someone Kriemhild knew well, then, and whose death she mourned. And her response implied that L-elf knew him as well. A man A-drei must have been close to, and trusted. A bad day, going on a mission which he did not return from.

The conclusion he was led to was...

"Michael?"

"Just thinking about how Sascha would have reacted if he saw us now."

A pause. "You've figured it out."

L-elf nodded. "How was he?"

"Hmm?"

"X-eins. Was he a good kisser?"


	5. Chapter 5

"X-eins. Was he a good kisser?"

That was a question A-drei really, really could not answer. And he honestly didn't want to think about X-eins right now.

"I'd need a point of comparison to be able to tell," he said, stealing a look at L-elf, who dipped his head and smiled a little in amusement.

Okay. This should mean L-elf didn't feel upset or repulsed to find out that A-drei and X-eins had kissed.

Holding A-drei's hand, L-elf led the way down one of the metro entrances, the transport system no longer running but the infrastructure still lit. A-drei made a curious sound with his throat, but didn't protest when he received no answer.

Their footsteps echoed off metal and concrete as they descended. When they reached the tunnel, A-drei was nudged, pushed, almost shoved, until his back met a wall. He could feel the cold of the concrete seeping through his clothes, and L-elf's body heat as he came up to him, pressing their chests together. The look on L-elf's face was as cool as ever, and yet there was heat in his eyes.

"Are you jealous? That X-eins kissed me?" A-drei whispered, because even a whisper seemed loud here, and grinned when L-elf leaned in even closer, until their noses touched.

"A little."

He had been wanting to avoid this, but it looked like an explanation would be needed. Eventually, not right now. If L-elf kept him like this for much longer, he was going to wither and die.

"Well, when I saw your neck, I was jealous of Tokushima." He let his hand ghost across L-elf's neck, just above the collar, to rest under the chin.

"He was after runes. It wasn't a pleasurable experience."

"You assume kissing X-eins was."

"Wasn't it?" L-elf asked softly. "It doesn't matter to me who you loved before —"

A-drei swore in his head in every language he knew. "Are we really talking about this now?"

"Andrei—"

No no, this was not the conversation they should be having. "Michael, if it doesn't matter to you, then... how about we do something that actually matters?"

All it took A-drei was a tip of his head to bring their mouths together. The contact made L-elf freeze for a second, then he responded tentatively. Despite being so bold just moments ago, his kiss was gentle, cautious, as if A-drei was a precious thing that would crumble and slip from his fingers if he was careless.

L-elf lips were thin, but not dry as A-drei had imagined, and quite soft. When A-drei let a hand rest on the back of L-elf's head, fingers threading through fine, mint-scented hair, he felt an arm slip under his jacket. The embrace lacked the warmth that was there when L-elf held him earlier today as they floated in a corridor outside the Valvrave hangar. Instead it felt tightly controlled, as if L-elf was afraid, or holding back. But A-drei didn't think L-elf was afraid.

"Michael..."

He didn't have much of an idea what he was doing, but he nibbled lightly on L-elf's lower lip, then teased it with the tip of his tongue. The arms around him tightened. A-drei parted his lips, inviting L-elf to taste him.

_Yes. Like that. Oh god._

Years of hating, then liking the wrong person. Loving him, really falling for him, then hating him, then falling for him all over again. Now that person had him pinned to a wall and was kissing him senseless. L-elf's first kiss. Their first kiss, turning more passionate with each passing second.

_"You can pretend I'm him."_

X-eins could never compare.

A-drei turned his face away, held L-elf tight against him, and drew a few deep breaths.

"How fast... can you drive us home without killing us both?"

L-elf kissed the side of his head. "I guess some things we learned at Carlstein are useful."

They made it back, somehow, without causing an accident. As soon as the front door was shut, A-drei tried to toe off his shoes, strip L-elf of his jacket and kiss him all at the same time.

"Andrei..."

"Shh, I can multitask."

He managed to get L-elf's jacket down to his elbows, then trembling hands settled on A-drei's waist.

"Are you sure?"

It was rare to see L-elf hesitant about anything, but confirmation seemed important to him, and A-drei couldn't decide if he found it adorable or annoying right now.

He took half a step back. "Are you?"

For a moment he panicked. What if the answer was "no"? What if he wasn't wanted or desired? What if what happened with X-eins actually did matter? What if L-elf had just decided he wasn't in love anymore, like he did with the others?

L-elf stared, let his jacket fall to the floor, moved forward and kissed A-drei again, this time hungrily, even more so than he was at the metro station. A-drei's waistcoat was unbuttoned. He felt his shirt being pulled at, lifted, pushed out of the way. Then there was a hand on his belt, working on the buckle.

"Zero to a hundred again... haha..." A-drei leant back a bit so that he could speak. Grinning, he reached for the knife in L-elf's shoulder holster, let his hand stroke the handle a few times, watching L-elf let out a shuddering breath as his brain registered the motion. Then A-drei very slowly pulled the knife out. It joined the jacket on the floor.

L-elf did not bother hiding his reactions. One small step, and his body was flush against A-drei's. Something very promising pressed itself against A-drei's hip. "To two thousand was what you said, back at the restaurant."

"I'm a man of my word. But maybe not in your hallway."

"...Upstairs."

A-drei's jacket was discarded, followed by his knife holster, waistcoat, tie, shirt, when they reached the bedroom. His hair tie had disappeared at some point, maybe back on the stairs. He shuffled onto the bed, then L-elf climbed on as well.

There were hands on his shoulders, holding him down. There were lips on his skin, kissing his throat before moving down to his chest. He could already feel the heat between his legs, just like that. He wasn't going to last.

"You're too dressed," he gasped, pushing L-elf away enough to get at his clothes, making short work of the shirt and tie. He couldn't stop himself from spending a moment to stroke the juncture of L-elf's neck as soon as it was revealed. He'd always thought L-elf had a very elegant-looking neck, and collarbones which he could admire all day long. And he was still beautiful despite the scars Tokushima Haruto left behind.

A-drei looked down when he felt a hand on his side; L-elf was motioning for him to put the pistol away. He tipped his head.

"Do it for me."

L-elf stared at him in incomprehension. That just wasn't done. If someone took your gun, you were being forcibly disarmed.

"You will never shoot me again."

"No."

"Then do it for me."

It was a motion they had both practised hundreds of times, but there was nothing methodical about the way L-elf tugged the weapon out, carefully, as if he was doing it for the first time. When he looked up to put it away, A-drei caught his wrist with one hand and pushed himself up with the other to kiss him, before letting him put the pistol down on the windowsill.

Sheathed knives stayed on the belts. Buckles were undone, the rest of their clothes were removed. It took some clumsy manoeuvring to get everything out of the way.

"Such skill, the great L-elf..."

A-drei chuckled, and L-elf smirked.

"And such grace from Your Royal Highness."

As more skin was revealed, A-drei let his eyes roam. There were two gunshot scars he didn't remember seeing before; it must be from being bodyjacked and Tokushima being too amateur to not get his host hurt. And if Sashinami often cooked feasts for L-elf, it wasn't showing. L-elf's shoulders had broadened slightly but if anything, he seemed even more physically honed than before, even more toned.

A-drei let his fingertips draw lightly down L-elf's the chest, around the side towards the back, hand finally resting on the backside. He smiled to himself; well, not everywhere was so devoid of fat. And — he tried to push down the bashfulness that came with the thought — it was difficult to tell right now, but L-elf might be a little more well-built than him in one particular area.

L-elf was studying him in the same way, he knew, and he hoped L-elf was just as excited by what he saw.

L-elf lay himself down on top of A-drei and claimed his mouth again, their hips pressed together and rubbing. God. Oh god. Everywhere that L-elf touched was hot, and he was touching him in so many places. And then L-elf held his hands and the kiss deepened and tongues were stroking and hips were thrusting and it felt so good A-drei could come like this, but he would rather try to make it last a bit longer.

With some effort, he flipped them over so that L-elf was under him, then pushed himself up on his arms. "I... just so you're warned, I'm going to need to..." he brushed away the hair that had fallen over his face, "...build towards the two thousand."

"There's time, we can go easy to begin with," L-elf said, breathing heavily from arousal, "I already told Kriemhild I'm not letting you sleep tonight..."

That was funny, in a mortifying sort of way. "I don't want to hear you say anyone's name but mine," A-drei said before bending down and kissing L-elf on the neck, from his ear, down to the scars, to the collarbone, then across and up again. Then a thought came to him, and he gave L-elf's neck a little nibble. L-elf's entire body jumped.

"Andrei!"

Arms wrapped fast around A-drei, hands clamping him down. He tried again, letting his teeth lightly graze L-elf's skin, then biting, gently so that he wouldn't leave a mark. The response was immediate: L-elf arched into him, his head falling back. The moan that came from his mouth nearly made A-drei lose it right there.

He kissed the spot he'd just bitten. "Good?"

"God... Andrei..."

"Better than being bitten by the other guy?" A-drei asked, nibbling again, this time a little harder. L-elf thrust his hips upwards in response.

"Ah... I've told you, that was not pleasurable..."

"I must say I didn't expect to find your erogenous spot so quickly... or that you can sound so lewd when you moan."

"Shut up. And you might want to hurry up."

He did. They could try more things later, but they were not going to last very long right now.

He kissed L-elf again, starting from his chest, licking playfully on a nipple, then he kissed the abdomen, feeling muscles tremble beneath his touch. He crawled down, letting his mouth trail across the skin, until he reached L-elf's fully hard and weeping arousal. He had never seen one like this before, except in the pages of the magazines he'd found stashed under old beds at various camps, but he knew what to do. He wrapped his hand around it and gave it a slow stroke. L-elf moaned again, this time long and low, his arm reaching for A-drei. A-drei ignored it for the moment.

He placed a kiss on the base of L-elf's cock, then grinned at himself for doing it. So many places on L-elf he still wanted to touch, so many things he wanted to try.

"The things I want to do to you, Michael..."

"If you say that when you're doing this to me... ah... I will agree to anything..."

"I should remember this if I ever need to interrogate you."

L-elf snorted. "Come back here so that I can touch you."

As soon as A-drei moved up again, L-elf rolled them onto their sides and he kissed him almost desperately, on his mouth, along his jawline, the curve of his ear, as his hands roamed, sending shivers of excitement down A-drei's spine. Then a hand reached his hardness and started to pump and, _oh god._

He did the same for L-elf, their legs tangling together as they stroked each other. Immediately that felt so good A-drei gasped, and he had no idea what his face looked like but L-elf's gaze was fixed on him, his brows gathered ever so slightly. A-drei whimpered.

"Does this feel good?" L-elf breathed the words.

"Yes. Yes yes. And... how about this?" A-drei's hand stroked upwards, letting his thumb brush over the tip of L-elf's cock.

L-elf bit his lip and nodded.

 _Michael._ "I'm..." A-drei's eyes struggled to focus as the pleasure built. L-elf was still watching him. _He wants to watch me come._ He stroked harder, faster. _Come with me._ Then his vision began to blur around the edges. "Nearly..." And all he knew was the person in front of him, one hand bringing him to his peak, and the other brushing the fringe out of his eyes with so much tenderness he almost cried. _I don't even have words for how much I love you._

"Are you..."

"Yes... ah... please just... keep..."

"I'm also... Faster. Please."

"Go on..."

L-elf did not look away even when he came, his eyes squeezing shut only briefly when he was overwhelmed by sensations. He had the most gorgeous eyes, and right now they looked glossy from pleasure. And his lips, a little red and swollen from kissing, gasped A-drei's name, the only coherent sound he made.

 _Yes, like that, please..._ A-drei was already so close. _Michael..._ The few more strokes pushed him over and he released himself into L-elf's hand, knowing that L-elf was watching, and trying to hold that gaze as he climaxed.

When he could breathe again, when he could _move_ again, he started to roll onto his back, but not before he caught a certain look on L-elf's face.

Oh.

He reacted even before L-elf finished saying the single word, and didn't realise what he had done until L-elf was already on the floor — he had shoved him off the bed by what could only be described as pure reflex.

"...degen."

He glared down at L-elf. This man and his awful humour!

"If you say 'blitzendegen' one more time," A-drei began, not really able to stop his mouth from twitching at the terrible joke and the fact that he had just pushed a naked and slightly sticky L-elf off his own bed, "then this is where it stops, we're not going to two thousand. Or two hundred. Not even twenty!"

L-elf just sat up, still naked and sticky, and looked up at him, smirking when A-drei gave in, laughed and told him to come back to bed. His body was still buzzing from orgasm and he wanted L-elf to be close to him right now.

Rejoining A-drei, L-elf reached for his bedside table, felt around for something, and A-drei blinked when he was handed a packet of wipes. So organised. Typical L-elf.

A-drei cleaned up, chuckling at himself. He couldn't believe it, he actually slept with someone on a first date. Well he could, actually, considering the situation, he just couldn't believe he was in L-elf's bed.

"Something funny?"

"Just imagining how seven-year-old me would have reacted to this."

"Apart from being confused by sex?"

"There is that, too," said A-drei, stifling a yawn. "You don't remember our first conversation, do you."

"No. What did we say?"

"Don't worry about it. I just didn't like you, that's all."

"I would be surprised if anyone liked anyone under those circumstances."

There was more to it than that, but what L-elf said was true nonetheless. "Little me would be so mad that older me betrayed him like this." A-drei rolled onto his side, facing L-elf. "But older me is very happy indeed."

Lying here in with L-elf, relaxed and buzzing with endorphins. Yes, this was perfect. He could definitely get used to this.

He smiled when L-elf shuffled closer. When an arm draped over him, he tipped his head into the pillow, and felt L-elf lean in.

"Go on."

Teeth closed lightly on the skin of A-drei's neck, near the top of his jawline, then slowly made their way down. Hmm. "It's nice. Though it's not doing as much for me as it did for you," or as much as it was doing for L-elf now. Maybe it was exciting for L-elf whether he was on the receiving or the giving end, if the way his breathing quickened was any indication. And that, along with the contact, was doing it for A-drei. "But keep touching me, and I might be ready again sooner than I thought..."

L-elf made no reply, but he definitely heard him.

"Are you wearing cologne?" he asked, his face buried in the crook of A-drei's neck.

"Mmm hmm." Teeth closed on A-drei's skin again. The sensation itself wasn't much, but the act was seductive and enticing, something A-drei didn't mind at all. "Is it too strong?"

"No. I like it."

A-drei hummed in appreciation when his back was stroked. Firmly. With nails.

"That's nice too."

"Good, but I'm looking for more than 'nice'."

"Keep looking. I'm enjoying the attention..." said A-drei, stretching his body against L-elf's.

"No hints?"

"I don't even know if there's a particular thing that works for me."

A pause. "You don't?" L-elf whispered, his mouth against A-drei's collarbone.

Huh. Hold on. "Michael, I've not done this before."

Another pause. "Oh."

Ah, dammit. "You're thinking about that again." A-drei scooted back, unsure how he felt about the revelation. If he had known this would happen, he would not have told L-elf about that kiss at all. "You said it doesn't matter, but it does."

L-elf seemed confused, but also defensive. "It's just that X-eins was a good man. And he's been dead for over a year. I don't understand why you felt you had to lie."

A-drei took a deep breath. No, he wasn't going to get angry. He was not going to get angry. He could see why L-elf arrived at this conclusion. And he could explain to him why that conclusion was wrong. But which was better? Letting L-elf think he had had a relationship with X-eins and then lied about it, or letting him know why that kiss happened at all?

Yes, X-eins was a good man.

So let him stay a good man.

"I don't know. I guess I was embarrassed about it. Sorry."

L-elf sat up when A-drei started getting out of bed. "Andrei?"

"I'll be right back." A-drei stood, looked around for something to put on, then decided it didn't matter. He just needed to be away from here for a moment. "Just need to do some eye maintenance."

Downstairs, he got out his eye kit and dipped the pipette into the bottle. He had done this so many times he could, figuratively, do it with his eyes closed, but tonight was different.

One application done, and he glanced at L-elf, who was on the landing on the stairs, wearing a... bathrobe? A-drei couldn't see very well right now. "Not sure if I can do this in front of an audience..."

L-elf frowned a little. "What is that?"

"Lubricant." A-drei tipped his head back and squeezed the gel over his left eye again, then blinked a few times. He grinned at L-elf, winking only because he had to keep an eye shut for now. "It's just regular water-based lubricant. I can take it back upstairs with me if you like."

Soft footsteps brought L-elf down the rest of the stairs. "How often do you have to do that?"

"Once a day. I won't go blind even if I forget for a few days, but I try not to."

"I see."

A-drei repeated the application. His vision blurred again temporarily. "Give me one more minute and I'll see, too."

"That's terrible."

"What are you going to do, throw me out?"

"And then throw your clothes out the window."

"Ooh, like a proper spat." A-drei looked again, and L-elf was right next him now, perched on the arm of the sofa. He looked... thoughtful, but different from his usual brand of seriousness. "Uh oh. What is it?"

"I've thought about what you've told me. Some things are not adding up."

"Michael, pursuer of truths. Do you need my entire sexual history and a list of everybody I've kissed?"

"Attempting to put me off just proves to me you're covering something up."

"You know, this is so romantic. You, asking me about an ex while I sit here with lube in my eye."

"If that happened on the day he died, then that was the day I returned to base disguised as an injured soldier and you found me. The three of us then went after Cain."

And X-eins got killed.

A-drei didn't say anything and just focused on putting his things away.

"That was the bad day. He learned that H-neun died in his place, and it was Cain who killed him. You comforted him."

"Something like that."

"And that would have been all these was to it, if minutes ago you had not admitted that you lied, implying there was something between the two of you. And you just called him an ex," said L-elf. "You are covering up something, and it's not the 'relationship'. There was no relationship, but you would rather let me think there was and stop looking further."

That was the danger of telling L-elf anything at all; he could get this far with such a small amount of information. A-drei could refuse to talk about it and there was nothing L-elf could do about that. But at this stage, he would be able to work out the rest eventually, and no one would be there to defend X-eins then.

A-drei really didn't want to talk about this.

"After you defected to New JIOR, X-eins and I became closer. I couldn't deal with your leaving and he was there for me on many of my bad days." A-drei sat, leaning forward, his arms on his thighs. "He was just there in case I needed a friend. I almost never even said a single word," some days even breathing felt too difficult, let alone speaking, "and I definitely never told him anything about our plans for the revolution. But somehow he figured out that I was in love with you."

L-elf started. "You already—"

"And I hated you too, for what you've done." A-drei sighed. "Then that time Cain took that drill to the school and I tried to arrest you, we talked and... I realised I couldn't build the path of light you wanted. X kept telling me I had to let go, I guess he saw that it wasn't doing good things to me. But I couldn't. And I couldn't try to join you either, I had to think about Kriemhild and the other royalists. So I stayed, taking orders like before. People were watching but we didn't know who. We all lay low for a while. It was so tense I couldn't even meet with Kriemhild."

"I didn't know that Kriemhild was part of the resistance until she gave me information on where the JIORian scientists were being held."

"And she didn't know about my plans with you. I held all the information and decided who got to know what, for everyone's safety. They depended on me and trusted their lives with me. That's why I couldn't go."

"Hmm."

"During that time, I was..." _on the verge of a breakdown_ , A-drei almost said, but he didn't want to be melodramatic, "not well. X kept a careful eye on me, went riding with me, talked to me a lot. He couldn't quite keep me anchored, but his presence helped.

"Some time later, you landed in Dorssia near Carlstein, I looked for you everywhere but Q-vier found you instead. I heard that you tried to rescue Liselotte, but she died. I knew that would have crushed you; I remember what you were like after you failed the first time we tried to save her. And then New JIOR decided to hand you over. I thought even you couldn't survive. You wouldn't even _want_ to live."

"Hmm."

"Then Rukino Saki told me it wasn't you who shot me. And... that was the last straw, I guess. I lost the last thing I could blame you or hate you for. But you'd been handed over. As far as I knew, you had been executed as one of the hazard organisms." How funny that term sounded now. "I let Rukino escape, and X found me. He asked me why I let the captive go, if it was something to do with my revolution plans."

"He—"

"Ever since you went over to New JIOR, X acted as Cain's spy. Cain thought we might be working together because I was a former royal and you and I were partners. X told me about it right there and didn't defend himself."

"He pretended to be your friend."

"He _was_ my friend!"

"You said it yourself: he spied on you."

"Shut up! Whatever he had discovered, he never told Cain about it. Nobody was ever compromised." A-drei grabbed the blanket that was left folded on the sofa and covered himself, because he felt stupid sitting here naked, arguing about this. "And you weren't there, you don't get to question his loyalty or draw conclusions!"

The tone of L-elf's voice soften a little. "I know that he was loyal to Cain."

"I know that he kept me together." A-drei looked up at L-elf. "And if I get to use the excuse that Cain might have put a spell on me, then he gets to use it too."

L-elf didn't respond. A-drei held his gaze, distraught that he had to tell him all of this, tainting his memory of X-eins. This wasn't how X-eins should be remembered.

And then, L-elf exhaled deeply. "Hmm."

He reached for A-drei, who grasped his hand in return.

"My crimes were far worse than his, Michael."

"He was a good friend who fought with us until the end. You are right."

A true friend L-elf had betrayed, a true friend who did not betray A-drei even when instructed to do so by the man he respected the most.

It took a few moments for A-drei to continue.

"When he found me in Rukino's interrogation room, I was in a very bad place. I thought you'd been killed and I had a hand in your death, one way or another. And he had just found out how H-neun died. We were angry and grieving and, he kissed me. Our emotions were all over the place and it just happened."

"I suppose it was better than if you two punched each other."

"He told me to pretend he was you, you know," A-drei said with a melancholic smile, "he was too tall, though."

It was obvious L-elf didn't know what to say. After a moment, he frowned. "Oi. He was only taller by two inches."

"Two and a bit. It makes all the difference." L-elf narrowed his eyes and arched an eyebrow. A-drei brought L-elf's hand to his lips and kissed it. "I prefer the real thing anyway."

"You have no shame."

"Pot and kettle." A-drei snorted. "So that's what happened. At some point a transmission came through that somebody fought some hazard organisms found on the Moon and came back injured, and I knew it had to be you."

"So when you came for me, you had just been making out with X-eins."

"Well, I wouldn't say 'just'... we were at a different part of the base. It took me a few minutes to get to you," said A-drei with a wry smile, which grew wider when L-elf put a hand on the back of the sofa for balance, then leaned down to kiss him. "Jealous again?"

"No... maybe a little. But mostly..."

Bodies moved, weights shifted, and A-drei found himself lying flat on the sofa, with L-elf on top of him, the blanket he'd been using now on the floor instead.

"Mostly just horny?" A-drei asked.

L-elf looked straight into his eyes. "Mostly just in love."

Hearing that, A-drei felt his heart, his body, his soul lift.

"I know what you're like, and yet I will never get used to hearing you say things like that." Saying things like that to him, specifically.

"Is that so?"

"I'm hoping that you're horny again as well, though."

L-elf moved again, so that less of his legs were dangling off the furniture and their hips could touch. "Well?"

A-drei could definitely feel it now. "Mmm... good..."

"This sofa is too short; I can't believe you slept here for two nights." L-elf got up without ceremony. "We're going back to bed. I am resuming the search."

Search... oh. A-drei couldn't get out of the sofa fast enough. "I suppose we could do that."

"Also, earlier you mentioned that there are things you want to do to me."

God, how could L-elf say that so easily as if he was talking about the weather? A-drei could feel his ears suddenly burning.

"If I could... take my eyedrops?"

"Do you have enough?"

So sensible. "I always have a spare bottle."

"Do you have anything else?"

"Well... I don't think I have latex allergy and I'm optimistically prepared."

"Get your things and come upstairs."

Earlier tonight, when they just got home, A-drei had thought he could never feel more excited for something in his life. How wrong he was.

L-elf was sitting on the edge of the bed waiting for him. He put down the things on the windowsill, next to the pistol, and nudged until L-elf was on his back.

L-elf gasped in surprise when A-drei immediately wrapped his lips around his semi-erect cock.

"Andrei?"

A-drei didn't bother to reply, and instead slid L-elf deeper into his mouth. It felt weird at first, but then he heard a hum of appreciation. L-elf said his name again, this time softly, and he felt a hand in his hair, encouraging him to carry on, so he kept at it.

Then quickly it became erotic. The flesh in his mouth hardened further. L-elf's breathing hitched. Legs tensed, heels dug into the mattress, dragging across bedsheets. A-drei looked up, just catching the moment when L-elf's whimpers turned wanton, and he could feel his own body responding, his cock getting harder too.

"Enough... enough!"

A-drei lifted his head. Even he could tell L-elf wasn't that close yet. "Enough?"

There was some jostling, and A-drei was nearly wrestled to lie down. L-elf glared at him, breathing hard.

"You will tell me if something feels good."

Ha, once an idea gets into L-elf's head, there was no sidetracking him from it. It would only be fair, really, if he could discover what really got A-drei going since they already knew that L-elf enjoyed being bitten in a certain way.

Fortunately, A-drei did have particularly sensitive spots and it didn't take long for them to be discovered.

L-elf looked up, smiled somewhat evilly, and took the hand away from A-drei's mouth so that he would not muffle himself, then preemptively pinned the other one down by the wrist as well. "And I was wondering if I would have to suck your toe."

A-drei tugged, trying to free his hands. He sounded so embarrassing just now. He really had not expected it to feel like that when L-elf licked his nipple. This wasn't as pleasurable as when L-elf touched him down there, but it was really, really turning him on and making him hard so fast.

"If it was my toe..." gosh he could hardly breathe, "would you?"

"I don't know." L-elf dipped his head once more. "We won't have to find out."

He was doing it again. His lips were warm and moist and his tongue tickled and A-drei wanted to writhe. "Lucky that it's up here," A-drei whispered. "But... mmm... just so you know, if it was my feet... hnn... I wouldn't expect you to..."

"Or maybe I will try that later anyway and see if that does it for you as well."

"Michael!"

"Haha..."

A-drei moaned again. This wasn't fair. "Oh god really don't laugh with my nipple in your mouth. I'm going to do that to your cock later."

"It's just quiet here, you're not as loud as you think. Also I don't have neighbours," said L-elf, but he did stop for now. "And did Your Royal Highness just say 'cock'?"

"I have a wide vocabulary."

They kissed again, their noses clashing, their bodies rubbing against each other. A hand sneaked between them, held A-drei's arousal and worked it. A-drei put a hand on L-elf's arse, squeezing it possessively and pushing their hips together at the same time. There was no protest. Instead, the hand just pumped him harder.

He rolled them over, straddled L-elf's stomach, and bent over him, his elbows on either side of L-elf's head. L-elf looked up at him, his hair messy, his lips swollen, making it look like he was pouting. He was astonishingly beautiful. A-drei wondered if L-elf ever realised that.

"Michael..."

L-elf rested a hand on A-drei's cheek. "Yes I'm sure."

Of course he could predict what A-drei was going to say. "You don't need to find out what other words are in my vocabulary, then."

A smirk. "You can still say it if you want."

A-drei was so ready he was almost trembling, but he couldn't give up the opportunity of a joke. "But saying 'fuck' would ruin my noble image."

The corners of L-elf's mouth twitched. "True. Maybe you should just shut the fuck up and fuck me," he said, trying not to laugh, "and yes I really am sure."

Sitting back on his heels, A-drei reached for the packet of condoms he'd left on the windowsill. Damn, he was so nervous. He had been through so much in his life but this was making his hands shake. And L-elf was watching him while casually touching himself.

"We can find a phrase for you that won't harm your princely persona," he murmured.

"Don't you dare say the B-word."

"How about 'nought to two thousand'?"

A-drei laughed. "That's a mouthful. Just 'two thousand' would do, wouldn't it?"

"Two thousand me, Andrei."

"You're not helping," A-drei said, although actually L-elf did. Feeling less nervous now, he managed to get the condom on without too much fumbling, and applied lubricant without dropping the bottle. L-elf did always have his way of keeping him calm and focused. At the beginning A-drei had really hated it, the way L-elf could deal with everything so coolly, until he realised that sometimes L-elf did it for him. Someone had to point out the harsh truth. Someone had to kill the royalists so that they wouldn't be suspected. Someone had to shoot F-sechs. And, it turned out, someone had to crack a joke so that A-drei could put on a condom.

He positioned himself, took a deep breath and pushed inside. The feeling was just like how he imagined it, yet different. It was tight. It was warm. But he didn't know how that would really feel until this moment. And he had no idea what just a small gasping sound from L-elf would do to him, either.

"Yes... I'm fine," L-elf whispered even before the question was asked, and he reached for A-drei, who leaned down to kiss him, and tentatively moved his hips, pushing in further.

Oh. _Oh._ It was incredible. The heat surrounding his cock. The way L-elf welcomed him and rocked their hips together. The way L-elf looked at him when he pulled away from the kiss, trusting and relaxed and just a little bit lewd.

It started slow, as slow as A-drei could bear, but that didn't last. Legs wrapped themselves around A-drei's hips, forcing them closer. There were arms around him, clinging, holding him tight, as if afraid that he would vanish. He thrust inside L-elf. Then he did it again a few more times.

"Is this working for you?"

"Maybe up— up a bit... "

"Like this?"

"I mean..."

"Oh, like..."

The fingers on A-drei's back dug in. "Yes..."

It was too much, seeing L-elf like this. A-drei couldn't hold back. Trying to keep to the angle, he moved faster, feeling pleasure build. "Michael... ah..."

"Does this feel good?" L-elf's eyes were on him now, his brows gathered, his entire body lurching with each thrust.

"You... need to ask?" A-drei leaned down and closed his teeth on L-elf's neck, right over the scars because he couldn't care less right now, grinning in triumph as L-elf whimpered, one of his hands going between them to stroke himself.

They stayed this way, their bodies rocking together, A-drei biting and kissing L-elf's neck, then suddenly L-elf grabbed him by the hair, turned his head and kissed him full on the mouth. He came like this, with A-drei's cock plunged deep inside him and A-drei's tongue in his mouth, his hand pumping until he was spent. And as he basked in the final waves of his climax, A-drei came as well, his face buried in the crook of L-elf's neck, moaning into it as he thrust one last time, then the pleasure that was gathered at one point took over everything.

He stayed there, lying on top of L-elf and not wanting to move, though he finally rolled off after a while. Wow. Maybe it was only because he hadn't done it before, but that was mindblowing. And it looked like L-elf had a good time too. Although...

"Oops," he said, taking a good look at L-elf's neck. L-elf gave him a curious glance, but obviously he couldn't see what A-drei was staring at. A-drei smiled sheepishly. "I think I bit you too hard."

"It didn't hurt." L-elf rubbed his neck. "Did you mark me?"

"I might have, inadvertently. On top of your scars. And um, everywhere."

L-elf shrugged. He cleaned up and helped A-drei dispose of the condom, letting out a contented sigh when A-drei held him as soon as he was done.

It was only when A-drei woke up that he realise he'd nodded off. The clock on the desk informed him it was now a few hours past midnight. A little silver object on top of the clock — an earring — informed him that H-neun had not been forgotten.

He was alone. He slipped his shirt and trousers back on, and found L-elf at the breakfast bar downstairs, his face lit by the light of the laptop he was working on.

"Can't sleep?"

"Woke up a little while ago," said L-elf, turning to look at him and frowning. "Is your eye all right?"

"Hmm? Oh." A-drei had kept it shut. He did it so often he wasn't thinking about it. "It tries to do too much in low light conditions. I don't use it when I don't need it; feels more natural that way."

L-elf tipped his head to one side. "I'm sorry."

"It wasn't you." It was A-drei's turn to frown. "And don't apologise on behalf of Tokushima. Having his memories doesn't make you him."

L-elf blinked, looked away for a second, and A-drei realised he was trying to rephrase himself. Oh. It was a simple expression of sympathy, not an apology. Either would have been rare for L-elf, but A-drei really didn't expect it to be the former.

"I misunderstood, Michael. It doesn't really bother me, it's all right. But thanks."

L-elf considered this. "Is this going to become a problem? Are you concerned about the fact that I have Tokushima Haruto's memories?"

That was a difficult question. They'd touched on this before but it wasn't something that could be concluded in just a few words.

A-drei went to the kitchen. "Drink?"

"Coffee please."

He picked a mug and popped a capsule into the coffee machine. The noise it made was especially loud at night. "You've changed, but I hope it's the experience on this module that changed you the most. Your experience _with_ him, not _of_ him, so to speak. It doesn't feel to me like you've become part Tokushima."

"No. Absolutely not," said L-elf, fingers that were dancing on the keyboard pausing for now. "He and I are polar opposites."

"Good, because he isn't the one I'm in love with. Also, he irritated the hell out of me with his music videos, dancing around and joyriding his Valvrave like it's just a car."

L-elf snorted. "I can imagine. You threw things at the TV?"

"Of course I did." A-drei pulled a face. "Overall I suppose I'm not bothered if it doesn't hurt you or trouble you. If it does, you need to talk to me instead of leave me guessing if something's wrong with you when we're on video link."

Falling silent, L-elf took his time to digest this. "I'm glad that you came."

"Me too. Twice tonight. It was great."

"Andrei," L-elf said, sounding exasperated but amused too.

A-drei put two coffees down, then went to the fridge for the milk, adding just a dash to one of them. L-elf watched him.

"Tokushima Haruto liked his coffee with so much milk it was practically a latte."

The horror on A-drei's face was partly genuine. "He was a disgusting, tasteless monster!"

L-elf sipped his drink. "You aren't much better; you just made me decaf."

"It's three in the morning." A-drei climbed onto the stool across the breakfast bar from L-elf. "You have decaf in your kitchen. That says more about you than it does me."

"I'm just prepared; apparently you can't drink coffee after 11 or you won't sleep."

"Apparently I'm allergic to latex." A-drei made a show of checking himself. "Nothing's itching... yet."

L-elf smiled, and they fell into companionable silence. A-drei's gaze landed on familiar stack of notes by his elbow, with calculations scrawled all over it — L-elf was already reworking his predictions for the development plan. A-drei didn't know whether to laugh or cry, to see his... boyfriend?... going back to work in the middle of the night, but one thing he would never need to question was L-elf's dedication.

"That's finished," said L-elf, noticing what A-drei was looking at.

"Already? Then what are you doing now?"

"Working out when we can meet without impeding progress." L-elf paused again, looking up from the screen, suddenly a bit unsure. "If that is what you want as well?"

Dear god. This man. A-drei could not help but roll his eyes and smile. "It's an important task. I forgive you for getting out of bed for this, General L-elf."

He folded his arms on the breakfast bar, leaning on them. With a small smile, L-elf returned his gaze to the screen. "I'll do what I can."

"I said 'forgive'. I haven't granted permission." A-drei shifted a bit, so that their knees touched. "Come back to bed."

"I only need four more minutes."

"Now, please."

"Three minutes and—"

"Michael."

L-elf raised an eyebrow, although he did stop. "We are in a rush?"

"No, and I'm glad you're looking forward, but I would have liked to have woken up with you beside me." It wasn't about the three-and-something-minutes that A-drei would have to wait, he hoped L-elf could see that. Although, when it came to certain things, L-elf did need the obvious pointed out to him sometimes.

There was a pause, and L-elf chewed on the inside of his lower lip discreetly, the way he often did when he was thinking hard. A-drei wondered if he was aware that he had such a habit or if he just thought nobody knew about it.

Then he nodded. "But I want to finish it since it's almost done."

Well. A-drei supposed it'd be annoying to leave something so close to completion. "Until I finish my coffee. Then we're going back to bed and I'm challenging the warning on your shirt."

L-elf nodded and his fingers flew on his keyboard again. "The t-shirt is—"

"A gift?"

"Yes."

The t-shirt L-elf was wearing was a white one with a cartoon cactus on the front, along with the words _hug me at your own risk_. "From the people I've assigned to you?"

"From Sakimori Academy," L-elf looked up from the screen briefly. "Although your people have also given me something along a similar vein."

Well, wasn't someone popular. It wasn't a surprise really, having talked to the pilots back at the Valvrave hangar. Even though he could be demanding and abrupt, L-elf was well-loved here. In fact A-drei would hazard a guess that to the people on this module, the importance of L-elf's wellbeing far surpassed his.

"Done." L-elf declared. "That's a dubious smile on your face."

"Just thinking that if something goes wrong between us, people here might skin me alive."

The laptop was closed. "Don't be ridiculous."

"I'm not even joking." Just exaggerating a little.

Back in bed, A-drei did as he said he would, put his arms around L-elf, then closed his eyes. They had spent a lot of time scrutinising the past and planning for the future. Yes, the future was their reason to fight, their reason of living, but how about here and now?

A-drei refused to feel guilty for enjoying the moment. It would take a lot of work, but he hoped one day L-elf would learn to do the same as well.


	6. Chapter 6

They took their tray, went to sit down at a table, and A-drei started cackling to himself again.

This morning, after they distracted themselves with each other in bed — L-elf wanted to try things the other way round and A-drei was happy to oblige — and showered, A-drei said he had a craving for fast food. This restaurant wasn't one L-elf had been to before, but he was quite sure it would be a good choice, not just because it wouldn't make them feel ill later like regular fast food might.

"Is it still funny?"

"That you hacked into the module's weather controls and lowered the temperature by 2.5 degrees because you wanted to wear a poloneck? That'll never stop being funny."

The poloneck only just about covered all the love bites, but it was already the best choice. "Just using the tools at my disposal."

"Doesn't make it not funny," said A-drei, grinning. "But actually I was just thinking about how it's Sausage Sunday again."

So it was, and that was why L-elf chose this restaurant. For those who lived in DMPF's barracks, lunch on Sundays was always sausages, and as rations went it was one of the most popular meals. Not that it was particularly great taste-wise and L-elf often heard complaints that it wasn't authentic, but it was decent enough and very filling.

A-drei took a sniff at the sharing platter they got. "This smell like the real thing. Reminds me of home."

"You ate this at home?" L-elf asked, although he took A-drei here also because he already guessed he might like this sort of food. This fast food joint was soon opened after A-drei began stationing his people on Module 77, to cater to Dorssian — particularly German and Austrian — tastes. As this was a military location, L-elf even personally checked all the tenders for the contract.

"My parents took me out to the markets sometimes. Especially the winter markets."

"But you were a prince."

"So?" said A-drei, pouring the little pot of curry sauce all over a couple of the pre-sliced sausages, then dusted curry powder on top as well. "They always did sausages at those places. You came from the east, I guess you didn't get the same sort of markets?"

"How did you know?"

"You had an accent. I don't actually remember how exactly you sounded, but I remember thinking to myself 'oh this boy is from the east'."

A-drei seemed to remember much more about their first days at Carlstein than L-elf did. For him, it was all a bit of a blur. "Southern Siberia. I think it was close to Mongolia," L-elf told him. "I don't know for sure." And he didn't care to find out.

There was a lull in the conversation as they ate their lunch. This was... hard to describe. Sitting here, eating with A-drei. Loving him and being loved by him. No longer feeling confused about Liselotte or Tokushima. Fighting the battle he wanted to fight for over ten years, and winning. He had lost important friends and he could never repay Liselotte for twice saving his life but, despite that...

A-drei was waving a piece of sausage on a fork in front of him, as if suggesting that he would feed him. He ignored it and carried on eating. A-drei shrugged and ate it himself.

"It's true? It's actually true?"

A-drei turned around, and L-elf looked up. From where he sat he had already noticed this person coming into the restaurant earlier, but decided greeting was unnecessary. It appeared that she had other ideas.

"Rukino Saki," L-elf said to the new arrival, who was in civilian clothing.

"You two really are dating." Hands on her hips, Rukino studied L-elf and A-drei, and then their joined hands. "Last night people were talking about it but they thought it was a joke."

L-elf had nothing to say, but it looked like she wasn't waiting for a response anyway. Rukino got her phone out and dialled a number. "They're at Wursthaus. Yes it's really true," she told the person on the other end of the line, hung up, then returned her attention to the couple, more specifically at L-elf.

"You stole him from right under my nose!" she said with dramatic emphasis. "Or have you two always been together? You just decided not to tell me? Just leave me to my silly daydreams, was it all very funny to you?"

Stealing a glance at A-drei, who couldn't tell if he should take Rukino seriously or not, L-elf decided the questions did not merit any real answer. With his free hand, he picked up a fork and helped himself to another piece of sausage from the platter. "Hmm."

A-drei laughed quietly. Rukino, who had been trying to look angry, was forced to give in when she couldn't stop herself from giggling.

At that moment, L-elf spotted more familiar faces arriving. Sashinami Shoko and Ninomiya Takahi came straight to the table and sat right down, uninvited. Rukino sat as well.

"What do you two want?" L-elf asked them, letting go of A-drei's hand and sitting back. A-drei and Ninomiya had met before, as she was the Minister of Foreign Affairs. But that did not explain her current presence.

A-drei was a far better diplomat and generally just a more polite person, though, and he greeted the women. "Good afternoon, gnädige Frauen."

He also knew exactly when to pull up the old language, it seemed, as what he said clearly tickled Ninomiya. "Good day, gentlemen," she said with a smile, flicking a large curl of hair behind her shoulder. "The Prime Minister and I are here to figure out what sort of statement should be issued when other heads of state hear about this... development between yourselves."

For a brief second, L-elf and A-drei exchanged a look. A-drei offered to let L-elf handle the conversation, but L-elf couldn't be bothered.

"Hmm," A-drei pretended to give this some thought whereas L-elf simply rolled his eyes, "say that we are indeed 'engaged in romantic liaisons'?"

That earned another round of laughs. Sashinami was searching L-elf's face, looking for confirmation of some sort, and he felt as though he could tell what it was she wanted to know. It may or may not be because of what he'd learned about her from Tokushima; even without those memories, he knew that she always needlessly concerned herself with other people's affairs. It didn't matter, she could keep being concerned if she liked, L-elf wasn't about to start reciting poetry about how much A-drei meant to him.

Then he caught A-drei giving him a subtle look. A-drei's eyes were on Sashinami, and then on him. Ah.

L-elf shook his head discreetly. No, the woman didn't know that he had Tokushima's memories, and he intended for things to stay this way.

A-drei nodded, indicating he got the message.

"If the three of you are done with your questions, then leave."

A-drei tipped his head, his braid gently falling to one side. "Don't be like that. We have three smart, courageous and beautiful women wanting to sit with us. You could be a little less antisocial."

"Four now," L-elf deadpanned, pointing towards the entrance where Kriemhild was just arriving. A-drei turned around to look at her.

"At least she came for me. Everyone else is here for you," said A-drei, smiling at their uninvited friends. "You're all here to tell me 'be good to him, or else', aren't you?"

That was ridiculous, but the women all laughed a little nervously, and Sashinami scratched her cheek with a finger. "Well..."

L-elf honestly could not believe this. This was none of their business, and why should they care anyway?

Kriemhild was now standing by the table, observing. A-drei looked up at her. "Kriemhild?"

"My phone would not stop ringing, Your Royal Highness. Would you—"

"This is of no concern to anyone, but if you need to shut them up you may tell them that I am with L-elf," he told her, then glanced at the others. "Although, from the looks of it, I might have to pass some sort of job interview first."

At that, Rukino, Sashinami and Ninomiya looked at each other, then they all shifted to sit on L-elf's side of the table, squeezing to fit. Rukino picked up the promotional menu and pretended to read it.

"So... A-drei, is it?" she nudged up some invisible glasses. "Tell us why you think you qualify for the position of L-elf's boyfriend."

Should he laugh, cry or just kill them all? L-elf couldn't decide.

A-drei sat up, pretended to straighten his clothes and sort out his hair. "Well." This fool was actually playing along. "I believe this should also be about what L-elf thinks. L-elf?"

L-elf arched an eyebrow. "L-elf thinks it is rather odd that he is sitting at what is now the 'women's' side of the table."

Clearly he still did not understand women and that was the wrong thing to say, because all it did was cause Rukino and Ninomiya to each grab one of his arms. "Yup! One of us!"

"Let go before I use force." Kill them. It was decided.

"Don't worry," drawled A-drei, putting an elbow on the table and resting his chin in his hand. He looked L-elf straight in the eye and smiled meaningfully. "You were definitely not the woman this morning."

Silence. Kriemhild was the first to react, striding away resolutely from their table with Rukino and Ninomiya following suit after letting out a shriek, clambering over Sashinami to get away. A second later, Sashinami got up as well, her face bright red.

"We're going to get some food and sit over there and not disturb you two any longer," said Sashinami with a shallow bow. "If I don't see you again before you leave today, A-drei, have a safe journey."

"Thank you."

Despite A-drei's unconventional method to clear their table of uninvited guests, they did not stay too long. Soon they returned home so that A-drei could pack his few belongings in preparation to depart later in the afternoon.

It was strange, watching him. Not because A-drei was humming that silly song they'd once heard on the radio again, but... something had changed. It was just like before, back when they were having their lunch. Yes of course it was love, L-elf knew what that felt like now, but there was something else he couldn't put his finger on.

A-drei was checking the schedule L-elf made last night. They could next meet in Dorssiana, which had been under the Liberation Force's control since months ago.

"Three weeks."

"Within four days we will receive a request from the UN for a meeting at a private lunar location. I predict that we will find a mutually convenient date three weeks away. I will first travel to Dorssiana to meet with you, and then we will go to the Moon together."

"Is that a euphemism?" A-drei did not miss a beat.

L-elf smirked as he walked over to his... boyfriend? "The distance between Earth and the Moon isn't two thousand in any unit of measurement."

"How unfortunate. Whatever shall we do?"

"I stopped short of scheduling that part of our next meeting."

"I'm sure we can work something out." A-drei's gaze lowered onto L-elf's lips, eyes fluttering close when he was kissed.

A little while later, he pulled back. His gaze was on L-elf's mouth again, and he was smiling as if he liked what he saw, letting his thumb run lightly over L-elf's lips, following their curve from corner to corner.

"Are you not tired yet?"

Tired? From kissing? Or did A-drei mean getting bored? What—

Oh?

L-elf touched his mouth. How long had he been...

A-drei read his mind. "Pretty much all day."

He wasn't normally someone who would repeat another's words, but this was not normal for L-elf by any stretch.

"I have been smiling all day."

Was this the foreign feeling that had been bothering him?

"And a large part of last night. You were even smiling into the kiss just now." Hands pretended to lightly massage L-elf's cheeks. "Are your muscles okay?"

A-drei looked smug. But perhaps he had the right to be. L-elf let him play with his cheeks for another moment before batting the hands away. A-drei smirked, shrugged and turned on his heels, going over to the table where L-elf left the wedding invitation Ninomiya gave him just before they left the fast food restaurant.

"Is this really all right?" he picked up the card.

"What?"

"For me to go to an event like this."

Not because he was the Prince of Dorssia, but because he was a former DMPF special agent. L-elf saw what he meant. It was a valid concern, but not necessary this time.

"Ninomiya Takahi does not tolerate people she dislikes if given the choice. If she says you're invited, then you will be welcomed."

"I see," A-drei read the card again, smiling to himself. "I've never received one of these before. '...request the honour of your presence... number of guests attending... name of guests...' Do I get to be your plus-one?"

"If they had known, your name would be on the envelope as well."

"Unnecessary. I like being your plus-one." Taking the envelope, A-drei ran a finger over L-elf's name, tracing the three simple strokes. "This is wonderful."

L-elf didn't understand. "That people get married?"

"That the people here like you; they care a great deal about you." A-drei put the card back. "I'd been worried."

It wasn't unusual of A-drei to worry, but hearing him say that still made L-elf frown. Just like Tokushima, just like Sashinami. And just like Liselotte. A-drei, too, agonised himself over other people's welfare. How ironic that L-elf, who only knew how to be selfish, was always drawn to naive people like this.

"I am not here to be liked; you should not have worried."

"Shouldn't I? I know you mostly live in your own head anyway, but even you need friends."

L-elf didn't have anything to say about that. It was a conversation they'd already had in Vienna; A-drei was simply emphasising something L-elf had already admitted to.

"You're my best friend, my right hand, my counterpart of an ally country, and you're living on a module that isn't fully functioning, unlinked from the Sphere. How can I not worry? And you know that you're like zugenwurst," A-drei referred to one of the sliced sausages they had decided not to include in their lunch platter earlier, "people either love you or hate you. I am just glad that it is the former."

A-drei was being his usual self. Not that L-elf didn't appreciate it, but it was a wonder that such an earnest person managed to survive Carlstein and the DMPF.

"Like zugenwurst."

"You know what I mean, Michael."

L-elf wasn't sure that he actually did.

Just before going back to the hangar, they made a stop at X-eins's crash site again. His books were still there, pages slightly wrinkled from the brief shower the other night.

A couple of novels. A collection of aerial photographs of Dorssia. A book on traditional Bavarian family recipes. L-elf remembered this last one: he had once seen X-eins reading it and was very quietly told — as discussion of families, even dead ones, were frowned upon — that it was written by a relative many generations ago. It was probably the only thing Sascha had that connected him to his roots.

L-elf found himself picking the books up. Seeing this, A-drei made a questioning sound with his throat.

"I am going to keep these," L-elf made the decision as he spoke the words, and he tucked the books under an arm.

"I think he would be happy with that," said A-drei. "Could I expect Bavarian food on my next visit?"

If L-elf could find the time, he just might give it a go. For X-eins. "The book looks like it should still be in print. Get one and try it out next time you visit the Emperor."

"Hmm. Not a bad idea. I reckon I can move on from pancakes," said A-drei, checking the time. They should get going.

The hangar where A-drei's ship was parked was, once again, near empty; although his visit was no longer a secret, L-elf's instruction for staff to stay away had not changed, and Kriemhild and the other staff were already onboard, waiting.

"Well. Back to work it is."

"I will see you in three weeks, Andrei."

They looked at each other. L-elf wondered if he ought to say something more. But judging from A-drei's smile this seemed to be enough.

"It's good to have something to look forward to, even before the revolution is done," he said, his gaze dipping to L-elf's mouth and his smile growing wider. He made no comment, but L-elf knew that he was smiling in return. He could recognise the feeling this time.

Their hands touched briefly, a silent agreement that anything more would simply drag out the departure. Then A-drei left, singing Rukino Saki's old song not-so-quietly all the way to his ship.

"Will you, du-du-du, will you call me yours... Will you be mine..."

The airlocks shut behind him. Smiling and shaking his head, L-elf wrote a message on his phone.

_L11: You still need to ask?_

The reply came in an instant.

_A3: ;) The next 3 weeks can't go fast enough._

_L11: I look forward to it too._

There was no point in watching the take off so L-elf headed out.

Indeed, it was good to be able to look forward to the immediate future while fighting for a better world for the years to come. Perhaps he would even learn to look further ahead still, not to predict scenarios but to consider what he wanted to do with his life.

Perhaps that life would involve someone called Andrei.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \:D/ Thanks for reading!


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